Feugo En La Sangre
by Pandabeans
Summary: He was the only one who would understand her, but little did she know that he thought the same way And now that she's finally with him he isn't about to let go of this opportunity, he will seize the moment that was taken from him many years ago.
1. You're just like me

Lights just in the horizon, right out of her reach That was all she could see, she wouldn't let her legs let up as she continued running up the spiral stairs. Her chest wanted to collapse as she could feel her heart wanting to burst out of her ribcage. For a sudden moment her mind had a fleeting thought 'what if everyone in the world of the dead still had beating hearts stuck in their ribcage?' a cold shiver shot down her spine. Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, the thought didn't stay any longer as she heard the loud roaring of Pepita crashing into the small corridor of the spiral staircase, chasing after her. She quickly saw a black steel gate, freedom. Without a second thought she quickly shut out the large alebrije and continued to run up the stairs 'almost! - i'm almo-'

"Maria Thelma!" she heard her name shout out from behind her. Maria turned around slowly with the guitar still tightly being held on by her back. Maria saw her Mama Imelda holding tightly at the gate still calling her name.

"Mari stop this at once!" she called out sternly for a moment Maria didn't know any fear until she saw her mama Imelda's scorned face, but she simply held onto her guitar tighter.

"No" she said quietly at first "no usted no mi quiere ayudar!"

"Your family knows what is best" mama Imelda countered

"But if you're really family you would be there for one another and none of you." Mari took a moment as she felt hiccups build up in the back of her throat "no one has ever supported me."

Maybe it was the fact that she had just run up five flights of stairs without taking a breather or of how emotionally tired she was from hiding her love of music for so long, either way tears began to fall down her painted cheeks. Maria decided that it was probably because she was physically tired but it still made Mama Imelda pause and as she saw her great great grand nieta tear up in the dark alley with nothing but the guitar strapped onto her back.

"That's why I have to find my great-great grandpa, he's the only one who'll understand me" she began to walk away from her mama Imelda "the only one in this family who loved music as much as me"

Maria began slowly picking up her feet as she climbed up the stairs keeping her eyes on the horizon but her picked up the softest yet heart wrenching vocals she's ever heard in her life

"Ay de mi llorona. Llorona de azul celeste~" Mama Imelda held tightly onto the blacks bars of the gate as her voice poured out the bittersweet haunting melody.

"Mama?" Maria spoke out

"You think I hate music?" mama Imelda breathed "I love music"

"Then why did you ban it from us?" Maria pressed her eyebrows together as she tried to keep her voice even

"After that man left I didn't have time to worry I still had a daughter to raise and a family to take care of" Imelda confessed "banning music was the only way to live on without a broken heart, for me and my daughter, you have to understand Maria"

"music...Is my heart" Maria stated, "your banning destroyed my heart even before it could beat"

Maria turned on her heel more determined than ever to find her great great grandfather and receive his blessing. She left her Mama Imelda reaching out towards her on the dark lonely stairway.

"You really are like me in every way" Imelda spoke softly

Ernesto de La Cruz, it had always been a family household name, well except her household apparently. Never in a million years would she have ever guessed that Ernesto De La Cruz was her ancestor, her father's father father..father? , she wasn't sure how that worked, Mama Coco's Papa. Maria made sure to readjust her makeup as she cleaned off any evidence of her tears. 'Now is not the time to be a chillona'. It wasn't a great fix but it would last her enough to reach up into the mansion. It was a much better sight to see than herself. The mansion sat upon a top of a mountain with a waterfall around the side and the only way up was by a grand mountainside Gondola tram. Maria couldn't find a way to pass through the security guards unless she was a famous luchador wrestler who didn't even have an invitation.

"Pfft honestly that guy didn't even ask for his invite" she said out loud to herself "he just took his picture and allowed him to go"

Maria rubbed her side as she remembered how the security guard flung her out of the line.

"Jerk" she looked around, there's got to be another way, out of the corner of her eye she found the group who she competed with at the talent show. Her eyes brightened with new found courage

"Hey guys!" she walked over to the band. Everyone recognize her immediately.

"Ohye you're the girl at the talent show, Chica you were the bomb" one of the band members said, Maria remembered her she as the clarinet player who gave her a good luck before she went on stage. Maria smiled at their familiarity. For a moment her mind drifted to the image of the ragged skeleton who helped her more than anyone else, Hector, she had to push that aside for now.

"Hey guys one fellow musician to another-"

Once they got into the Tram bypassing the security guard the tuba player let her fall out of his horn. She fell flat on her backside, she had to adjust her headband as her long hair become static from the copper instrument. She gave the band members a toothy grin with a thumbs up, they giggled along with her.

The doors of the gondola opened, and Maria was left in awestruck. It was filled to the brim with guests and the decor was white and polished, she had never felt more unimportant in her life. The band members gave her a pat on her back as they went to get ready for their performance "enjoy the party kid"

Maria walked around trying to find any sight of her Papa Ernesto. Everyone intimidated her, she almost wishes she just stuck with the band, at least they were recognizable faces. Everyone seemed to phase out of her sight, she felt her chest tighten.

"Where do you think he is Dante?" she found herself asking her trusty- he wasn't there. Maria looked around and suddenly remembered how she made her single friend run from her. She had to keep a straight face from tearing up again. 'Come on you got to keep going' she kept looking around, suddenly she heard it

"Senor De La Cruz over here please" out of ear shot but close enough to see Maria turned wildly at the sound and she saw the white mariachi suit of the man walk into the door of the mansion, 'Papa Ernesto!'. She quickly ran in trying to go in between the party goers. She swerved through as she caught sight of the white suit as a sign of hope, but it always strayed too far from her to catch. He began walking farther away from her and deeper into the crowd. Maria looking around and saw all of Papa Ernesto's movies playing on the walls of the mansion. The loud music and chatter of the crowd was enough to overwhelm her as she kept her breathing even, but she could feel her chest begin to constrain.

"When you see your moment, you mustn't let it pass you by, you must seize it" she heard one of the screens play. Papa Ernesto was speaking to the female lead in a passionate silique.

"He will listen to music" Maria knew what she had to do.


	2. Seize your moment

He had been surrounded by guests all night, he keep his smile plastered on his face as he laughed along with everyone, he was getting tired. It was the same party every year. Guests from all over the land of the dead to his grand parties. Everyone was always the same. Grateful, excited, and loud until everyone was out of his mansion and he was left alone again in his walls and rooms full of admiration and fame, yes alone. Ernesto grimaced slightly.

"Is everything alright compa?" one of his guest asked. Ernest smiled his worried guest away. He had to be careful in front of everyone, any slight change of attitude and everyone would be in a frenzy.

"Nothing at all my friend I was just thinking of the sunrise spectacular I have planned tomorrow" he lied as he patted his nameless guests back.

"Ah! So, nothing that the Great Ernesto really has to worry about right?"

"Your right my friend"

The both laughed together for a moment and his guest continued his mindless chatter with the others as Ernesto feigned interest. Anything that peaked his interest was the story of the living girl who was traveling the world of the dead, but everyone always changed the subject before he could ask anything more. Instead his mind wandered to faint images. Memories of a long forgotten past. The loud music reminded him of the stringing of the guitars and the bass that trembled through his walls made him think of the lovely woman swaying her hips along with the music in that lonely tavero so many nights ago. How fiery and vivid she was, how she laughed boisterously, and defeated any man at a drinking contest, but most importantly her voice. Her voice that captivated and entranced all the patrons including himself. Her long hair trailed behind her as she twirled around the tavern singing along with the taverns sole old guitar player. She was beautiful, and Ernesto decided right then and there that he would do anything to hold her in his arms and call her his.

"Amigo what do you think about her? Do you think a scrawny guy like me even has a chance with a gal like herself?"

"Not in a million years"

It was his own voice that brought him out of his trance. He was back at his party with all the nameless guest and the loud music and the mindless chatter.

"When you see your moment, you mustn't let it pass you by, you must seize it"

He almost found it laughable. The only time he truly did anything on his own to seize what he wanted was the only time he was rejected. He let out a dry laugh

Thankfully no one mentioned it in fact no one was even paying attention to him everyone was looking at-. She stood at the highest point of his mansion with a loud holler to announce her presence she made everyone watch her in awe. her musical abilities didn't stop at her voice but continued and her fingertips, it was as though she and her guitar were one in the same. He noticed that she sang in perfect sync with his song and as she came closer towards him he felt though she was singing right into his soul. As though she could see all hidden dark secrets and livid lies, but she still walked towards him with the brightest smile and understanding, as though she was the only one in the world who understood him, then she fell into the pool. Ernesto stood still but only for a moment the world had frozen when the girl sang to him, in a panic Ernesto ran towards the young girl and swam in to catch her ignoring everything and everyone. She flailed wildly in the pool her hair floating around her like a halo, he noticed how she pulled along her guitar with her.

Maria felt as though she had been punched in the lungs by a yacote. As she reached the high notes of the song she suddenly found herself breathing in water instead. Before she realized what had happened she felt herself wrapped around a warm arm pulling her out of the pool she had fallen in. she quickly grabbed the guitar along with her as she allowed the figure to save her. She held onto the arm as she coughed out her lungs, she noticed eerily that there were no sounds other that her living breath trying to catch up with her lungs.

"Are you alright Nina?"

"I I'm so sorry" she said in between hiccups and sobs. She clenches tightly onto her savior's shoulder as she rubbed the makeup out of her teary eyes. She felt a strong hand gently pull her aside from her chin, she realized she was staring right up in Ernesto eyes. She breathed in surprise and embarrassment but before she could apologize once again De la Cruz eyes flicked with surprise and recognition but for a slight second Maria noticed a flash of a shudder some stare directed towards her. He gripped her shoulder and her chin slightly tighter, he pushed her wet hair out of her eyes.

"It's you!" he gasped as her pulled her closer towards him to see her better. Maria snapped out of her thoughts and she quickly pulled herself together as she moved away. "The girl that came from the land of the living!"

"You know about me?" for a moment Maria thought that she looked so much like the family he remembered having, Maria's heart clenched in anticipation. 'Of course!' she'd thought he would say 'you look just like your great great grandmother my greatest love!'

"Of Course!" he said Maria smiled "your all everybody has been talking about!"

He proclaimed loudly as everyone in the party began to clap as he stood up and adjusted his hair, Maria looked up towards him in slight confusion, 'does he really not recognize me?' Maria bit on her lip her breathing quickened in fear. Ernesto must have noticed this as he knelt towards her and picked her up from her shoulders to help her stand on her own. His hands ran down her arms slowly as they held onto her hands

"Little girl why have you come here" Maria heard the sincerity in his voice as his eyes searched deeply into her own still kneeling down. Maria took a deep breath to stabilize herself

"I'm Maria yo-Your great great granddaughter" she told him. Instantly Maria felt how his hold onto her hands dug into her palms tightly. He stared at her blankly for a quick moment and he looked at her features and traced her cheeks with his eyes

"I have a great great granddaughter?" he spoke quietly. Maria smiled 'he must be remembering' she thought.

"I've been looking for you all over the land of the dead, no one in our family understands music like you and me. All I've ever wanted was to play just like you in front of crowds and songs I loved" Maria held onto his hands for dear life "that's why I had to find you, I had to seize my moment"

Ernesto listened quietly to her as the word began to sink, he gave her the warmest smile.

"You have been looking for me all over the land of the dead pequeña?" he asked softly

"You're the only one who would understand me" she responded with a shy smile and hopeful eyes. Ernesto's eyes widened in surprise, and a large smile grew on his face he quickly lifted her up into his arms a threw her up onto his shoulders.

"I have a great great granddaughter!" Ernesto proclaimed proudly. Everyone in the party cheered as their great idol reunited with his relative. Maria looked out into the seas of approving shouts and encouragement she looked down and saw her Papa Ernesto smile proudly towards the crowd, she wrapped her arms around his head and rubbed her warm cheeks against him.

A warm jolt ran through Ernesto as the young girl held dearly to him he couldn't help but hold onto her as she hugged him. Her warm flesh and bright eyes clenched deeply into him as he remembered the feeling that he thought he had buried so deeply from his past, here she was finally in his arms.

He promised himself that this time he would never let her go.


	3. La Nina En Blanco

"Oh my" Maria let out a small gasp.

In front of her where what seemed to be a thousand dresses lined into a large walk in closet all in her size. The beautiful colors memorized her as she ran around looking at all the beautiful fabric and thanking everyone who showed her a new dress that she didn't catch, they all gave her a grateful smile appreciating her youthful awes of surprise. Not far behind her Papa Ernesto followed with the same smile enjoying her display of curiosity and graciousness.

"Well mijita you take your pick" he told her "you can have any of these dresses of your liking"

"Oh gosh I can't do that" she said "Their all too beautiful to choose, besides-I don't need anything fancy. I'm fine with the clothes I have on"

Maria admitted, frankly she was a little intimidated by all the choices and although her clothes were still damp from the fall they still made her feel comfortable.

"Nonsense mija!" Ernesto said, "no great great granddaughter of mine will be in anything less than beautiful"

Maria couldn't help but let out a laugh, that caught Ernesto's attention

"It doesn't matter Papa Ernesto" she giggled "I'm good, honestly"

Ernesto wouldn't let up, he wanted her to look like perfect, she already had the face all she needed was the matching clothes.

"If you don't want to fine" he said but immediately he knelt on his knee to look into her eyes "but please do this for your Papa Ernesto, I haven't met you until today and I want you to accept everything I have to offer to you.

Maria bit her lip, she knew she shouldn't reject anything her family gave her and honestly who was she to deny the beautiful dresses. She sighed and nodded in agreement.

"Fine, your right Papa Ernesto, I'm sorry for being ungrateful" she apologized looking down to her feet, but she quickly leaned into his face with a smile "But there are so many choices, you choose which one you like best!"

Ernesto grinned at the girl's forwardness and unbridled courage, very few ever spoke to him in that tone, He admired it. He laughed as he stood up from the floor Maria gave him a smug grin with her arms crossed against her chest.

"Very well, if that's what mi Nina wants!" he ordered the woman who showed the dresses to present him the best colors, he decided on the clean white skirt and a beautiful matching blouse. "These will do perfectly, muchas gracias!" he thanked the women as they left Ernesto and Maria alone with the chosen articles. Maria looked at the clothing as Ernesto presented her the skirt by swishing the hem.

"See nothing but the best" he proclaimed. Maria couldn't help but laugh as Ernesto twirled around with the skirt making it appear as though he was dancing with it on. "Try it on mija"

Maria thanked him and ran behind a rack of clothing as she undressed from her damp clothing. The material was unbelievable soft on her skin and for a moment she thought she was wearing a white cloud. The top of the dress exposed her bare dark shoulders and Maria loved how the skirt flowed down her body. Ernesto waited for her patiently as she ran back towards him it the beautiful outfit.

"There you go! Now the color has returned to your cheeks" Maria rolled her eyes at his joke "come here pequeña"

Ernesto motioned her towards him as he pulled out a white ribbon. Maria reached out towards the ribbon expecting Ernesto to give it to her, but he pulled it away.

"Ah no mijita" he said Maria placed her hands onto her hips and gave him an annoyed expression

"Come on papa Ernesto I'm not five I can do my own hair" Maria said with a low sigh

Ernesto let out a low chuckle "what did I just say? Come now Maria I haven't even known about your existence until today, don't you want to make you Papa Ernesto happy?" Maria bite the inside of her cheek and let out a sigh in defeat.

"Fine" she said as she took out her red headband from her hair and turned around as Ernesto began to wrap the ribbon onto her head. "But it better look the same"

"Of course!" Ernesto laughed. He slid the ribbon underneath her long hair and allowed the strand to drag along his hands. He tucked the ribbon underneath her ears and slightly brushed her cheeks with his fingertips, they felt so warm underneath his hands. He left a pretty bow on the top of her head making it look as though she had bunny ears.

Maria was so star struck in her own thoughts that she didn't even notice Ernesto's caresses. She still couldn't believe that He, Ernesto De La Cruz, had just chosen her dress. Her Papa Ernesto the biggest singer and musician in all of Mexico had played dress up with his great great granddaughter. Maria could almost laugh at the idea, all she could think about was the serious man in the movie and tv screens she watched back home, it still took a lot for her head to wrap around.

"There, what do you think?" Ernesto led her to a mirror where Maria saw her reflection back towards her. She loved it, as she bounced in joy she turned around and gave her Papa Ernesto a tight hug. Ernesto wrapped his arms around her and leaned into her hair, letting her warm body surround him he smiled happily with his eyes closed breathing in her soft scent.

"Come we still have so much to see" Ernesto pulled out of the room and back into the party making sure that his hand never left her shoulder.

Maria was astonished by everyone at the party. They all complimented her dress and her talents.

"You literally look like a mini Ernesto in you outfit, and you have the voice to match" one of the party goers commented.

"Muchas gracias!" Maria beamed. Ernesto stood proudly behind her.

"No no! She's much more beautiful!" he proclaimed to his guests "She didn't get my chin though"

"He doesn't want me stealing all the beautiful woman" Maria said with a smug smile. All the woman began to laugh at her joke. Some of the woman pinched her cheeks as Mari giggled along. Ernesto took a moment to adjust to her joke "I think he doesn't like the competition of good looks in the family"

"What a little charmer you are" some of the woman commented. Mari hid her blushing cheeks from the woman in embarrassment "just like your Papa Ernesto, right?"

Ernesto let out a coughing laugh as he pulled Maria away from the crowding woman and back into his side.

"With that attitude you'll be leading all the boys along, mija" Ernesto joked

"Ah! Please Papa Ernesto boys are super gross" Maria childish stuck out her tongue everyone laughed "beside don't you think I could woo all the woman in the world with my music?"

Everyone let out a boisterous laugh as Maria feigned a macho pose while playing an imaginary guitar, some woman played along and pretended to fan themselves as Maria threw them a wink. This made Ernesto uncomfortable, He understood that Maria was playing and the woman kept up the act, and yet an unsettling feeling nestled in the back of his mind. As the crowd began to die down Ernesto pulled Maria aside and spoke softly to her

"Mijita?" he said as he knelt onto his knee

"Si, Papa Ernesto" He had to suppress a smug smile from forming onto his face, the reminder of his legacy was enough to send him over the edge.

"Don't make jokes like that" his once warm voice grew an octave deeper and a chill ran down Maria's spine

"What, what do you mean?" she asked concerned

"People will begin talking, the way people always do" Ernesto said as he held a finger towards his mouth "soon they'll make up terrible stories"

"Oh, but Papa Ernesto I was only joking!" Maria said with an embarrassed smile trying to keep her rosy cheeks from getting any redder "besides everyone thought it was funny"

"Yes, I know pequeña but let's stop those kinds of jokes for now, alright? For your Papa Ernesto?" He held onto her hands, Maria noted how his thumb dug lightly into her soft palm. She nodded her head as she lowered her head slightly. Ernesto gave her a kind smile and lifted her head to meet his eyes "oh come now, you know it's only because I don't want you to also upstage my jokes"

Maria gave a small laugh and quickly sprang back into her joyous self as she and Ernesto began to walk around his grand party. This didn't stop Ernesto from starting to noticing how Maria would hide her blush whenever a beautiful woman came up to greet them and how she always competed with the other men even though she was in her pretty white dress. Whenever she wasn't in his grasp he felt a slight sneer form on his face which others must have seen it as a protective stance towards his great great granddaughter.

"Ay, Ernesto Let her have her fun!" someone said, Ernesto plastered on a smile for his guest

"Oh, I know compa the young girl just makes this old man suffer is all" Ernesto laughed boastfully

"I understand, I know if I got the chance to spend a whole night with my grandchildren I wouldn't want them out of my sight"

"A whole night?" Ernesto was perplexed what did the old man mean, did he think Maria would leave him after tonight? She told him herself that no other family member accepted her, had she been lying? This didn't settle well with Ernesto and his fingers dug into the bone of his palm

"Well yes, if Maria doesn't return to the land of the living before sunrise tomorrow she will permanently stay stuck in the land of the dead" that didn't sound too bad to Ernesto "and she'll fully become a calavera, never being able to see her family again"

Ernesto snapped his head towards Maria, he hadn't noticed before but her hands had begun to give a transparent look as he could faintly see a pair of skeleton hands begin to appear.

"How is that possible?!" Ernesto said with a firm exasperation of displeasure

"Well wasn't that why she came to find you?" the old man question "to get your blessing?"

"My...Blessing?" Ernesto looked back at the old man perplexed

"Yes so that she go back home" Go back home! Que!? Nononononono. NO. She had Lied to HIM! She didn't want to stay with him because they understood each other she wanted to leave him! Just like everyone he trusted, just like him, just like her!

Just like...her.

Ernesto had enough, he quickly turned on his heel completely ignoring the old man and made his way towards HIS pequeña. He would put a stop to these silly ideas


	4. Nina Indeciso

Maria walked along the parties sideline, occasionally she would speak to some of the guest and take photos with them, it started to feel i bit exhausting. Maria looked around the party hall and found everyone laughing and talking to each other as she walked about people would point towards her and speak in hushed tones Maria would wave and give them a kind smile. She began thinking about what her Papa ernesto told her

"People will start talking, the way people always do"

She could feel a pit in her stomach start forming. Everything began making her feel uneasy, they way everyone simply just liked looking at her like she were some expensive painting. How everyone looked in awe with her appearance rather than ask about her interests. She looked around and tried seeing any signs of her Papa Ernesto, as she stood on her tippy toes she felt someone pull on her arm.

"hey-Hey! Come on what's the big idea-?" Maria's shouts of protest were stopped by a recognizable skeletons ragged arm.

"Oye chamaca quite kicking your legs so much!" The old ragged skeleton said as he pulled Maria into of the mansions many corridors, away from the party. Maria instantly recognized the old bones as a smile instantly grew on her face. Without a second thought she threw hers arms around the tall esqueleto. Hector paused to take a moment to adjust to Maria's joyous attitude of seeing him, when just a few hours ago she was ready to saw his head in half.

"Whoa Chamaca! Wait wait wait-are you...Are you crying?" Hector peeled the sobbing Mari off of his body as he looked down and looking at the puffy eyed girl "I guess we'll have to call you Nina indeciso because nunca decides en eso"

Maria gave a few hiccups in laughter as she rubbed the tears out of her eyes. The whole night had been exhausting her and to see Hector again especially after she ran away from him was almost enough for her break down again.

"Stop it with your puns before you make me hate you again" Maria said in between sobs.

"Hora Nina,whats gotten into you?" Hector began to grow worry. Usually Maria would start bossing him around and asking him why he was there. He almost expected her to call security and have him pulled from the party the moment she realized it was him, he certainly didn't expect this from a relative of Ernesto's. "Chamaca look at me. What going on?"

Maria took a couple breaths in to calm her jitteriness, she placed her hand over her heart to she even her breathing. As she looked into Hector's eyes she saw nothing but absolute and sincere worry for her. Her lips began to tremble, she was about to bawl again

"Okay no nope, enough with the water works Nina" Hector sighed in slight annoyance, he looked out to see if anyone had caught sight of them "Look, what happened to the girl who dragged me by the suspenders until she realized that the only thing she was pulling along with her where my pants and my hip bone?"

Maria laughed as she thought about early today when she met Hector, as she was running away from her family she found it easier to pull Hector by his suspenders as she dashed out of the security building. She hadn't even realized that Hector or more like all of Hector was strangling along behind her, ribcage al all.

"I'm sorry" she said quietly, Hector understood that she wasn't apologizing about dragging him. He let out a small breath he had been holding "I didn't mean to lie to you"

"Kid-" Hector let out a groan as he dragged his hand across his face trying to find the right words "I'm not mad or anything, I just- look let me start this over. Why didn't you ask your family who was looking for you to give you their blessing and go back home?"

Maria thought for a moment, She didn't want to lie to Hector again and she didn't want to let him down either. She remembered the way she ran from her Mama Imelda

"They didn't want me to follow my dreams" she said she remembered the look of pure rage that her Mama Imelda gave her when she left her in the alleyway "I don't think- they ever want anything to do with me again"

Hector saw the shudder of pure disbelief that trembled down Maria's shoulders

"Ay, Nina" Hector said quietly "I- I know a little something about that feeling. Is that why you were admit about De La Cruz?"

"He is the only one who hasn't rejected me" she said mostly to herself 'people will start talking the way people always do', she took a deep breath and recomposed herself. She straighten out her dress and looked straight up at Hector with her eyebrow raised and a quizzical tone. Her attitude flipping a complete 180, not surprising Hector at all anymore "and what about you, Senor Hector? Why do you need to get into the land of the living?"

"I have to" Hector began with a deep breath "this might be the last time I can see my family"

Maria remembered her short time in the slums as she thought back to Chicharron, to have no one in the land of the living to leave you an ofrenda. To think about how long everyone had to live out their entire afterlife, it was like a set and slow second death sentence, until everyone forgot about you. Maria bit the inside of her cheek as she considered her options, there really wasn't much of decision to make.

"I still want to help you Hector!" Maria proclaimed as she grabbed Hectors suspenders to pull him down to eye level, nodding her head in newfound determination " that is, if you'll still let me"

Hector almost wanted to collapse in exhaustion, this girl had him hopping through hoops, just like someone he remembered

"Nina, if you can make your way into De la cruz's mansion on you own and make your Papa Ernesto actually enjoy his parties then I have all the faith that you'll be able to still help me out" Hector said with a loud laugh as he patted the girl's back. Maria released him of her hold and gave him a one sided dimple smile as she thought about what he just said

"wait-Papa Ernesto doesn't enjoy his parties?"

"Kid are you as dense as you are strong headed?" before Maria could chew him out he made her lean out of the corridor as he pointed out towards the large party "This is all for show, the guests, the music, the large space. Ernesto likes surrounding himself with empty things thing so that he himself can feel less lonely"

Maria looked at Hector in confusion but as he pointed out towards the large crowd and loud music Maria began to feel the sense of loneliness in all the material things.

"You're probably this first thing in his entire life he's actually been able to grasp a concrete hold of" Hector mumbled to himself, Maria's ears caught his words and she couldn't help but hear the bitter edge in his voice.

As Maria continued to look around the party she caught sight of a large white Mariachi hat walking into the crowd, she quickly turned back to Hector.

"I'm guessing you not really on the guest list huh, Senor Hector?" Maria said with her hands setting onto her hips. Hector gave her a cheesy grin and her tousled her bangs. Maria puffed her hair out of her eyes in annoyance. She extended her hand out towards Hector "I'll get my blessing and you'll get to see your family, like we promised!"

"Like we promised" Hector repeated, he pulled his photo out of her ragged jacket pocket and handed it to Maria as he placed his hand over hers "try not to throw it this time"

Maria's cheeks blushed in embarrassment, she nodded in apology. She tucked the photo safely onto her person and made sure it was secure.

"Will you be okay?" Maria said before she walked back to the party Hector flicked his straw hat upwards towards Maria with a smile

"Don't worry about me kid" he said as he walked deeper into the empty corridor "just make sure you put me in your ofrenda and I'll be safe"

Maria nodded her head with a strong 'humph' and a bright smile. She ran out into the party to her Papa Ernesto. Hector watched with a tight chest as the she disappeared into the crowd, he knew that the girl would keep her promise, but it didn't stop him from worrying about her.


	5. So Long ago

"I haven't seen Mari anywhere near here" one of his guests told him

"i'm sorry she's probably having fun running around"

"What an adorable little girl with those big brown eyes and long black hair. Do you think she looks like someone you used to know Ernesto?"

"My my my I guess Talent runs strongly through the whole family"

"I saw her running around with a couple of your guests they were taking pictures oh she's so adorable when you find her can you tell her that I said hi"

"What a lucky little girl to have you the great Ernesto de la Cruz to be her great great grandfather"

Ernesto gave them all a tight smile and kept walking around his party, keeping his hands behind his back as he walked around slowly, his steps trailing behind him. Noone noticed how he tightened his grip and how his comments picked at an impatient tone. He simply kept walking around his grand fiesta keeping the facade. Looking everywhere for his pequeña.

He already called for security, and no one had any luck finding her. When the officer told him that she must be playing with the younger guest nonchalantly Ernesto gave him a smile as he turned his head a bit to the side. Without pulling too much attention to himself he grabbed the guard by his suit jacket and pulled his ear closely to his mouth.

"If you don't find Maria in the next ten minutes you can kiss your position goodbye"

Ernesto gently pushed the guard away from him with his smile still on his face, her patted down the mans suit jacket setting everything in security guard fumbled with his walkie talkie in slight panic as he order his team to keep looking for the girl.

"Try not to disturb the guest now, well...go on?" Ernesto tapped the mans security badge lightly "go find her"

The man gave him a quick nod and resumed looking for Mari, with a slight rush in his step. Ernesto watch the man disappear into the crowd with a slight frown as he crashed into a couple of guests

"I guess a new position just opened" he said to himself

The party was going swimmingly. Everyone had been enjoying food from the best caterers from the land of the dead, the dance floor was packed with dancers going onto their sixth dance, and Ernesto was positive that his place was the envy of everyones dreams.

Ernesto's eye twitched in boiling anger, He had just found her after more than over 80's years of constant fading images. The woman who teased him just out of his sight, who has haunted him for a thousand sleepless nights. He had found her, No she came to him like the most precious ofrenda of them all, And now she was lost right underneath his nose. For years he chased after the girl in his dreams always taunting him as she twirled around his head mockingly, reminding him of the only thing in the world he could never have.

The music faded and the guests cleared out of his vision, he wasn't at his party anymore.

 **It was his 18th birthday. No one had remembered. He was tired and hungry.**

He had been pulling out the broken wagon from his father's small shop for hours now. He stood next to it as he wiped the sweat off of his forehead. Another beautiful hot morning in Santa Cecilia, his face twisted into a deep frown. If he was going to be stuck pulling around his father's busted wagon all throughout the town he would have snuck out of his room window like every morning, but his father caught him still wistfully sleeping in her warm bed.

"Ahora para de ser un folo inútil y ayuda con los trabajos de las quehaceres" His father yelled. Ernesto rubbed the arm his father had bruised to pull him out of bed as he remembered about earlier that morning. His day had turned from an annoyance to downright miserable. Dante couldn't pull the broken wagon from the his father's shop to the repair shop so Ernesto was stuck pulling the Wagon by hand all by himself to the other side of town. Ernesto wanted to ditch the wagon over some cliff and tell his father that it rolled down and crashed to pieces, he almost considered the idea. Instead his thoughts were interrupted by the sound of running children and blank chatter.

Ernesto almost wanted to smack himself for being so forgetful, he was stuck in the plaza. Soon the place would fill up with people and musicians. Ernesto usually was the first one in the square playing along with another scamp kid. In fact it was that kids fault for why he overslept. The scrawny boy had convinced him to go to the local tavern that have been looking for a new band to play in the bar to appease customers, apparently the old guitarist was thinking about retiring. Ernesto had gone along with the boy hoping he could find, if anything inspiration, instead he found a muse. He remembered vividly from the night prior how he and the boy entered the bar with nothing but a guitar on the boys back. Ernesto had expected a solemn place were drunkards went to drink their troubles, he almost suspected to find his father hunched over one of the benches, but to his surprise the bar was loud with young people seated in the tables and many more dancing to taperos on the makeshift dance floor. Ernesto and the boy pushed through the crowd to find the owner, as Ernesto was about to call for the owner the boy stopped him in his tracks by pulling at his arm sleeve

"Ernesto Look!" the boy exclaimed in awe

Ernesto pulled his arm from the boys grasp in slight frustration but looked at were he was looking, Ernesto felt his mouth open slightly in surprise. In the middle of the crowd was a beautiful vixen in a low purple dress dancing along with the guitarists fast paced song. She gave loud hollers of laughs as everyone around her cheered on. She mesmerized everyone with her theatrical dance as she held the of her dress to give off a beautiful motion replicating the ocean waves. She was beautiful plain and simple and everyone in the tavern knew.

"Whoa ,Amigo what do you think about her? Do you think a scrawny guy like me even has a chance with a gal like herself?"

Ernesto didn't even look back at the boy, his eyes still trailing the lively girl on the dance floor, he saw how one of the brave man tried inching closer to her to have a dance. Ernesto's eye twitch in sudden jealousy as the man grabbed the young girls hand and twirled her elegantly towards his chest the girl gave a small gasp in surprise, everyone in the tavern grew quiet.

Ernesto and the young boy noticed the sudden change in the taverns atmosphere, everyone kept their eyes on the they now newly formed couple. The young girl gave the man a coy smile as she leaned into him, Ernesto's ears began to burn. The man gave a sudden holler in pain as the young girl slammed her heel down on the man's foot. Everyone in the tavern let out hoots and yells in laughter, the young man limped out of the tavern. The girl gave a smile of triumph as she chased another man away successfully as she turned her attention back towards the guitarist to request a new song She briefly made eye contact with Ernesto, He let out an impressed smile, she rolled her eyes.

"Not in a million years"

Ernesto ruffled the foolish boys hair, he turned to the bar and called out to the bartender.

"Hola Primo" Ernesto called out to the bartender "any way we can play here tonight, we heard you were looking for a replacement?"

The bartender nodded his head towards the old man seated on stool hunched over his guitar

"Oyhe Fausto!" the man called out to the old guitarist " we got a couple of chamacos who want to give you a fifteen minute break"

Fausto, the guitarist gave a laugh and Jumped off the stool

"If you can keep up with La Morena I'll personally buy you two boys a new guitar to work here" Ernesto ears perked at the job offer.

"Who's La Morena?" the young boy asked

The young girl in the deep purple dress turned swiftly on her heels, as she looked at Ernesto and the young boy she crossed her arms in contemplation at the two. She walked slowly towards the two boys as she looked them up and down.

"You two are musicians?" she asked with readiness, her voice sparked a jolt through Ernesto.

"Y-yes Senorita" The young boy responded tugging his guitar closely to himself

"Hmm" Imelda squinted her eyes towards the tall boy and than looked towards Ernesto "what about you?"

"I'm a musician like he said" Ernesto said with a grinning smile

"No your not, he's a musician" she said while pointing towards the boy. The boy straightened his back in surprise. Ernesto gave the girl an offended look, she leaned her finger into Ernesto's chest "What do you do?"

Ernesto's lips quirked into a small smirk as her gently pulled the girls fingers off of his chest.

"I'm a singer" he responded. The girl looked at the two young men in front of her for a moment then walked back onto the dance floor.

"I keep up the tempo" she said as she tapped the worn done floor with her heels "got it"

"Loud and clear senorita" Ernesto quipped he bowed his head slightly towards the girl. She gave him a small witty smile as she began tapping the floor with a slow beat, the young boy with the guitar began playing to match her pace. Ernesto recognized the tune and began to sing along. As the girl began to quicken her dance Ernesto and the young boy kept up in pace, till the night continued on with laughter from all the patrons and music booming through the tavern. Ernesto kept his eyes on the beautiful girl as she continued to dance on all night along with them.

Ernesto decided then and there that this girl was going to be his.

Ernesto thoughts were uninterruptedly stopped as he slammed the broken wagon down again. He was still trudging the stupid wooden wagon down to the repair shop. He leaned over the wagon to get a quick breather, he felt as though he was going to throw up his absent breakfast. The damn heat, that damn scrawny kid, that damn girl-

"Come on bailarina catch up!"A tall young man called out behind him as he carried two shoe boxes in his arms as he continued to run down the street. For a moment Ernesto thought he was seeing double as an identical young man ran right behind the first one

"Yeah slowpoke it's almost like you've been dancing all night" said the second identical man as he ran with a large box in hand. Ernesto didn't have time to think if he was seeing double or losing his mind, he just wanted to get this damn wagon to the repair shop, as he was about to lift the wagon again he stopped as he recognized the voice behind him

"Keep your mouth Shut Oscar! Before I fill your pillows with-" she stopped in her tracks as she saw Ernesto Hunched over in a crouched position sharing her same expression of surprise. The young girl from the tavern was about ready to make a run for it before Ernesto could react, Ernesto reacted faster, He fell onto the ground exhausted.

"Quien es tu novio?"

"¡Cállate! Tonto"

"Were you going to leave him in the street?"

"Of course not! He just frightened me"

"We'll keep fanning him he'll wake up eventually"

Ernesto opened his eyes slowly as he saw three figures towering over him. He slowly sat up in a daze as he realized that he wasn't seeing double but at twins, and...The beautiful girl? He must be dreaming he thought as he rubbed his eyes.

"Joven, how do you feel?" one of the twins asked and he leaned over and grabbed his shoulder to stabilize him.

"Um good just a bit exhausted" Ernesto responded on command

"Have you been pulling this wagon around all morning?" the other twin asked as he looked at the busted wagon with his had over his chin. The girl tried avoiding any eye contact

"Yeah, I gotta get it to the repair shop"

The twins looked at each other for a moment and nodded their heads at the same time

"Well good luck Joven!" one of the twins said as he picked up his boxes

"Yes, good luck and do be careful" the other said as he grabbed the box

The young girl looked at Ernesto as he leaned against his wagon in exhaustion, she quickly turned to the young men in outrage. The men were about to make a run from her but she was too quick for them.

"Ah no! Wasnt you two who said that you wished we had something to help up carry all these items back to the store" she said as she pointed towards the boxes they were carrying" she pulled them by their collars back to Ernesto's wagon "well it seems like you prayer was answered, we can help the young man with his wagon and we got a place to put all the boxes in"

The twins shared the same painful expression

"I mean unless you want me to run down to the shop and tell Mama how you guys forgot to order the brown leather" The twins glared at the young girl but she turned her head in disinterest. The twins sighed and realized they had no leverage.

"Yes, fine" said the one called oscar as he rolled up his sleeves, his twin followed.

"Alright muchacho, is it alright if we help you? We gotta get all these boxes to our shop and the repair shop is in the same direction, we'll help you with the wagon pushin" Ernesto widen his eyes in surprise, he look towards the girl but she kept her head turned.

"Um. Yes please!" he said as he lifted the wagon along with the other two men. "Thank you so much

"Don't mention it" huffed the twin to his right.

With the boxes in the wagon and the extra man power Ernesto was able to walk with a bit more ease as he could see the repair shop close in the distant. The girl walked in front of them keeping her attention on the road but she would occasionally turn to see the how they were doing, whenever she made eye contact with Ernesto she turned her head back.

"So what's your name joven?" asked one of the twins

"It's Ernesto, Ernesto De La Cruz" he responded

"That's a strong name, good use of vowels" said the other twin

"Um thanks, I guess, what about you guys?"

"My name is Oscar" said the twin to his right "he's my brother Felipe, and the lazy girl in front of you who was about to leave you lying in the street, her name is Imelda our little sister"

"Imelda" Ernesto repeated to himself.

"We have a small shoe shop down were the repair shop is" Oscar continued

"Yeah, we mostly just repair shoes ourselves" Felipe finished

Imelda continued to walk ignoring the conversation behind her but whenever she looked back, Ernesto gave her a smug grin causing her to walk faster trying to hide her flustered face.

"Here you are joven" Oscar said as he and the other two set the wagon down in front of the repair shop.

"Thanks for letting us use your wagon" Felipe said as he began to pick up the boxes.

"No problem, thank you so much for the help" Ernesto said as he scratch the back of his head " I made it faster here than I thought I would"

Oscar and Felipe gave him a curt nodd in appreciation as they continued to walk down the road.

"Grab the last box in the wagon, bailarina" Oscar called out to Imelda as they walked past her. She rolled her eyes at her brothers as she walked back towards Ernesto and the wagon

"Senorita imelda" Ernesto said with a curt nod, Imelda ignored him as she reached into the wagon to grab the last box, but as she stretch out to reach it she realized that she couldn't. She let out a low sigh

"Senor Ernesto" she acknowledge him and with a grumbled voice she finished "can you...grab the box for me?"

Ernesto gave her a smile as he comb his hair back with his hands.

"Of course Senorita imelda" he chuckled, he reached in the wagon with ease and pulled out the last box. As he handed the box back to her he placed his hand on top of her. "Thank you again, Senorita imelda"

"No problem. Senor Ernesto" she said with a strained smile. She pulled the box out of hands and placed it on the ground, Ernesto watched in interest as she stood up on top of the box. She towered over him with her arms across her chest "I hope you understand that this doesn't make us friends"

"Of course senorita Imelda" Ernesto replied humorously at Imelda's antics. Without a second thought Ernesto lifted Imelda off the box by her waist, Imelda let out a soft yelp before she could kick him in the shin he leaned into her face and asked lowly "will I see you at the tavern tonight?"

Imelda stopped her hand from slapping Ernesto and instead considered his question. She decided to lift the box on the ground and continue walking down the street. Ernesto shocked by her actions looked at her bewildered as she continued to ignore him

"Was that a yes!?"

Imelda turned around and gave ernesto a glare, but quickly looked ahead to see if her brothers were near.

"Will you be playing?" she asked quietly Ernesto smiled

"Yes Ma'am"

Imelda considered this for a moment

"Then no"

Imelda smiled as she Left the flustred Ernesto in front of The repair shop running to catch up with her brothers. Ernesto watched as Imelda's silhouette vanished down the street, Her giggle taunting him.

 **"Does she remind you of anyone from your past?"**

Ernesto De La Cruz was back at his party, with the mindless chatter, and the loud music, and all the fame and riches he could ask for. Never having to pull another broken wagon or suffer another mistreatment from his father for the rest of his Afterlife. The guest who spoke to him was looking for his answer, Ernesto wanted to push the guest aside and continue his search for Maria.

"She looks like a dream, I still can't believe she's real" Ernesto replied with a courteous smile

"Ah a dream, like wish your heart makes" the guest replied kindly

Before Ernesto could reply He saw a group of people begin to crowd a few feet ahead of him, in the middle he saw a flash of the brilliant white dress. Waving goodbye to his guest he walked slowly towards the gathering.

'Your not going to runaway from me anymore' he thought 'Your mine pequeña, I won't let anyone get to you this time"


	6. Feeling alive

Maria patted the picture of Hector that she placed securely to the side of her hip. She remembered when Hector had first showed her the picture as he had just finished applying the calavera makeup on her face, back under the bridge.

 **"There and a little heart in the middle"**

He said as he finished putting the small details onto her face. Maria was getting impatient as she started bouncing her leg up and down. "Ohye chamaca quited squirming!"

"Sorry" she mumbled "why even put a heart?"

"Girls always get pretty decorations" Hector said as though it were the most obvious thing in the world "now you won't look to suspicious, here"

He handed her a silver plate and allowed her to see her painted face. Maria studied her face in quiet observation.

"Alright chamaca, what wrong with it?" Hector frowned as he crossed his arms. Maria looked up towards the old esqueleto, she shook her head

"Nothing I like it! You worked hard on it and i'm very thankful" Maria said in a rush, she wasn't lying, she actually did like it.

"Ah no, a mi no me puedes mentir" He said with a wave in his finger "I know that line, and that expression. I practically majored in reading under the lines"

Maria rolled her eyes but not without a smile.

"I'm not lying, the design is very pretty" Hector wasn't satisfied with her answer as his expression and crossed arms didn't budge, and Maria was positive that he wasn't going to help her out until she told him the truth. She let out groan "alright alright you got me"

Hector let out a satisfied smirk, Maria wanted to roll her eyes again.

"It's just that..it's..I...Does it look nice on my face?" Maria asked with a faint flustered tone, she didn't know if the nicely decorated makeup suited her well. Hector was a bit shocked at Maria's sudden insecurity but shook his head with a smile

"Kid you look great, if anything just a bit fleshy in the cheeks" Maria frowned at his bad joke "well are you ready to go on an adventure and help out an old sap like me" Hector said as he ruffled her bangs. Maria squirmed in annoyance as she adjusted her hair with her headband.

"I'm practically dying to help you" Maria joked, Hector was proud that he made her laugh but he almost wanted to tell her to not joke about her demise with such a carefree attitude.

"Alright kid" he pulled out his photo from his jacket handing it over to Maria. She looked at the photo as she studied the image of the Living Hector and the equelto side by side.

"Muy guapo no?" Maria raised her eyebrow, Hector gave her a slight frown. " now tell me who else in your family is in the land of the dead?"

"...nope, I got no one expect for Ernesto De La Cruz" Maria said with calm confidence

"Alright.." Hector scratched the back of his skull "Look kid getting to Ernesto De La Cruz will be tough, we need someone we can get to..you know, a little faster"

Maria stood up peeved as she crossed her arms, scrunching her eyebrows together. Hector thought that she looked like she was about to leave

"You said you could get me to Ernesto De La Cruz! That was part of the bargain to get your photo on my familias ofrenda"

"Wait wait yes I know but kid it's gonna take alot to get Ernesto De La Cruz"

"I guess...family is worth the trouble" Hector groaned.

 **"Now you must tell me about your family who are still in the land of the living"**

One of the beautiful esqueletas asked her

Maria was broken out of her thoughts as she realized that she had been pulled by a group of women all surrounding her with great interest. One of the woman had her arm looped through hers as she pulled her along. Maria struggled to keep up with their pace as she lifted her dress to follow

"Um-my family in the land of the living?" she asked a bit flustered

"Yes chiquita, what are they like, what do they do, who..are they?" the woman waited for her response with a smile. Maria could sense that this woman was trying to rush the answer out of her.

"Oh um.." Maria didn't know what to say, she had been stuck in her thoughts simply taking photos and having people compliment her appearance. The question seemed to come out of nowhere "well um my family is from Santa Cecilia, all of my living relatives are there"

"Oh, thats De La cruz's hometown" The woman shared a look with all the woman in the group "and tell me mijita do you remember your great-great grandmother?"

"My great great grand-?" Yes, Mama Imelda Maria thought for a second and she looked down holding her chin with a considerate pause, Mama Imelda had married Ernesto. He had left her to follow his career as a world famous singer. He left Mama Imelda with their only child, Her Mama CoCo.

"I banned music so that we could live on without a broken heart"

Mama Imelda's word echoed through her head, Ernesto had abandoned them. Maria's felt a terrible sinking sensation settle into her stomach, Did he love them?

"I..uh..she" Before Maria could finished her sentence she saw as the woman stepped away from her, She felt a strong hand wrapped itself around her shoulder and pulled her from the woman that held her by her arm. Maria looked up and saw her Papa Ernesto give the woman a beaming smile, she took this moment to hide behind her Papa's large figure putting a barrier between her and the woman. Their questions had left a sour feeling in her mouth and for a moment Maria thought her Papa was her chivalrous knight who came to save her.

"I'm so sorry if I interrupted anything important, senoritas" the woman gave him smile as they shook their heads "Mi nina and I still have so much catching up to do, If you don't mind i'm going to steal her away for a bit"

As Maria walked away with Ernesto she casually looked behind her shoulders and saw the woman conversing to herself with occasionally pointing at her direction. Maria bit her lip softly as she continued to walk with her Papa.

"Mija where did you walk off to?" Ernesto asked as he kept his hand on her shoulder keeping his attention in front of him. "You had me worried"

"I'm sorry Papa Ernesto, I got stuck in the crowds" maria said truthfully. "They wanted pictures and asked how if felt to have skin, I was getting a bit tired of their repetitive questions. I tried looking for you through the crowd"

Ernesto gave a laugh as he squeezed her shoulder, Maria felt crushed in between his ribs and his arm.

"Aw, Well i'm sorry I lost sight of you mija" he said as he lead her into a grand hall "I Promise that from now on i'll never have let you out of my sight again"

Maria looked around at the large room. Everywhere around her were piles of beautifully stacked crafted instruments from guitars to vihuela's. The warm room was filled with gifts, there was even a large printed poster of one of Ernesto's movies with a japanese dub. Maria looked in awe at all the of the rooms treasures, For a moment maria remembered when she had bought a small ofrenda for Ernesto, it was a small mug. She had poured all her allowance onto getting the perfect mug for her hero. She realized that he had probably never seen it.

"Papa Ernesto this room is beautiful" Maria said looking around the room, her deep brown eyes widened in innocent awe.

"Yes my fans from all over the world always give me the most beautiful ofrendas year round, so much that I don't even know what to do with" Ernesto looked around proudly as he relaxed his shoulders and puffed out his chest in pride. He watched as Maria twirled around the room, in excitement. Ernesto adjusted his Mono on his chest "All of the gifts in the world, and yet.."

Maria looked at her Papa Ernesto with a slightly confused raised eyebrow. He waved the thought away as he went and walked over to a small fluffed pillow, Maria noticed a bunch of small multi-colored dogs sleeping in a bundle. Maria perked up with excitement as she followed her Papa Ernesto to the small sleeping beans. Ernesto carefully lifted his Alebrije up into his arms as he softly petted the yawning chihuahua.

"May I?" Maria asked as she looked up to Ernesto with pleading eyes. He gave her a tender smile and nodded. He placed his alebrije into her arms and the chihuahua moved to get comfortable in the young girls arms

"Ohh there absolutely precious" maria cooed at the sleeping puppy, Ernesto was content to simply watching her antics as she continued to pet his Alebrije. Ernesto saw as Maria attention was caught towards the window as she slowly walked towards it to see the moon, Ernesto realized that sunrise was just a few hours from now.

"Papa Ernesto?" Maria called quietly for his attention. Ernesto walked towards her "are you happy?"

Ernesto was caught slightly off guard by her question, but he didn't show it. He gave her a smile

"Why of course pequeña " he said "I have traveled far and wide to see the world in all it's splendors. My music has reached those who needed it the most. The entire world, mi familia"

"What about your familia in Santa cecilia?" she asked timidly, lifting the puppy up to her chest. "Did you ever think about returning?"

Maria remembered the sorrowful voice of her Mama Imelda. She thought of Her Mama Coco who cried out asking if her papa was coming home. Maria's nose twitched as her eyes tried betraying her feelings, all she could hear were the wails of the two women who were abandoned by their husband and father.

"I..Did. A long time ago I wanted to return to my family in Santa cecilia, I was about to give up on everything I worked so hard for. I wanted to come back to…" Ernesto shifted his Mono slightly, Maria saw how he struggled slightly with his words "but I realized that I needed to keep trying to make my dream come true, for them"

"did...did you love them?"

Ernesto's eyes suddenly glazed over he wasn't looking at Maria anymore but zoned out in his own thoughts

"I... was a man who had nothing to his name, nothing to call his own. One day I did find something I wanted for my own but-" Ernesto clenched his hand closely to his chest, deep in thought " I knew that if I wanted to be worthy enough of their love I had to achieve greatness.

Maria bit the inside of her cheek as she thought back to her shoot at the talent show, how her abuelita destroyed everything she had worked so hard for. How her family just stood by as dreams were now torn and broken into pieces in front of her. She had wanted to prove herself before them, for her family.

"You had to make your dream come true" Maria whispered softly

"Exactly mijita, yes I had to leave many things behind but no one was going to help me achieve my goals. I had to fight for them"

Maria couldn't help but think of the ragged old skeleton, Hector, who was also fighting desperately but he only wanted to go home.

"Maria are you happy?" Ernesto asked he as he knelt on his knee in front of her. Maria was perplexed about his question, this wasn't about her.

"Yes Papa Ernesto, maybe the happiest i've been my whole life" she admitted and she scrunched up her shoulders and gave him a bright smile "I discovered a beautiful world full of magic and memories, and best of all I got to met you"

Ernesto rested his hand on Maria's cheek, she unconsciously leaned into it as she allowed her Papa Ernesto to run his fingers through her hair.

"Yes, but pequeña are you happy with me?" he pushed. He leaned slightly towards her as his thumb caressed her warm cheek.

"Of course! Who wouldn't be happy to be related to Ernesto de la cruz, my whole life i've looked up to you and inspired to be like you. It still takes alot for me to know this is real"

Ernesto gave her a small laugh, as he thought about the irony. Maria's smile faltered a bit at her Papa's reaction. She suddenly became very aware how close Ernesto was to her, she could feel her cheeks flare up with embarrassment.

"Maria thank you, but do you know that I feel the same way? To know that you're here, with me. I'm filled to the brim with joy" Ernesto rested his other hand on her bare shoulder as he pulled her closer "Maria I want to know, are you happy being here with me?"

"Of...course Papa Ernesto, Your my family-"

"The only one who understands you" he added

Maia opened her mouth slightly but then abruptly closed it. She looked outside of the window and saw the beautiful night sky as the loud fireworks banged into the sky leaving a shower of beautiful lights. This didn't feel right, she could sense the pit in her stomach growing as her paranoa built.

"Yes…" she said slowly "The one person who knows how hard it is to achieve your own dream"

" I spent so many days nights wondering when my dream would come true" he said barely audible for Maria to hear

"-but it is Papa Ernesto! and that's what I want, to sing in front of crowds of people to enraptured their hearts in song. For the Love of the music that lives through us" Maria spoke passionately, When Ernesto did not respond Maria scrunched her shoulders up uncomfortably. Ernesto couldn't help but enjoy the sight of her flustered face.

"So that you can reach your dream" he finally spoke

"Yes, that's why.." Maria looked up towards her papa with bright eyes "I need your blessing"

Maria felt a sharp pain from Ernesto's tight grip onto her shoulder, she clenched it upwards as she looked at her Papa in shock

"You want to go back to the family who rejected you?" he wasn't looking at her, instead he stared down to the ground "the people who have pushed you time and time again away from yours dreams"

" I-" Maria was at a lost for words Ernesto slowly stood up looking down at her with deep eyes

Maria tried to take a step back but Ernesto held her firmly by her arms, The small alebrije yawned as though nothing were wrong, Maria's breath quickened in panic.

"I- I thought you knew that Pa-Papa Ernesto, that's why I need your blessing to return to my family and play music just like you"

"Maria look around, everything I've accomplished and more are in this land. Riches, fame, everything you heart could desire" Ernest paused "Right in this room with, me"

Maria's eyes widened slightly as she began to catch on to what her Papa was insinuating at, goosebumps began to form on her arms. She didn't feel safe with her Papa Ernesto anymore

" Papá Ernesto...I can't stay in the Land of the Dead"

Ernesto leaned downwards towards her and Maria was almost relieved for a moment that he was a calavera because she knew if he wasn't she would be feeling his breath on her face. But it still didn't comfort her that she was staring right into his dark eye sockets with menacing eyes peering out towards her.

"Maria, I've reached my dream. Everything in this Mansion is a result of that, and it could all be yours if you just stay with me"

Maria froze, the pit in her stomach was bottleless with feelings of Agony and fear. The primary question, Why? Why was her papa Ernesto acting like this? Why was he offering all of this? Just so she can stay with him? A cold shiver ran down from the hairs of her neck to her back.

"your probably the first thing that he's been able to get a concrete hold of for a long time"

Maria knew that this wasn't right, it didn't feel right. She had to think fast.

"Papa.. ?" Maria let out softly "everything will be mine to share?"

"yes Maria everything you heart desires I'll give to you In a instant. Wouldn't that make you happy? Wouldn't that be better than anything you ever had before? Everything your family rejected you?" Ernesto said Maria's eyes shifted in thought. He let go of her shoulders and pulled one of her hands out, gripping it tightly "You can still play your music all over the land of the dead by my side"

Maria winced slightly, it didn't go unnoticed.

"for...forever?" She asked with a small quirk of her eyebrow

Ernesto gave her a satisfied smile of relief

"yes pequeña para siempre"

Maria stood still for a moment looking at Ernesto with eyes full of worry and a tucked in lip in between her teeth. With her spare hand Maria pulled Ernesto into a hug and pulled him close to her side. Ernesto was a bit shocked by her reaction but quickly melted in her arms as he embraced her wrapping his arms around her firmly. Ernesto closed his eyes as he leaned his head onto Maria's hair. Was this how it felt? To feel someone's unconditional love, despite all of your flaws? Despite all of your secrets? To want somebody for so long and finally have their love and return? Ernesto smiled as he felt Maria's hair tickle against his face, he could stay like this for hours.

He suddenly let out a holler in pain. With the alebrije still in her arms Maria crushed her shoe into Ernesto's foot. 'This is what you get for trusting me with heels on' Maria thought to herself. She quickly twisted herself out of Ernesto's arms and she began to make a run towards the hall doors, she looked over her shoulder for a quick moment to see if Ernesto was following her. Instead she made eye contact with him he was still gripping his foot in pain but his mouth was curled into a horrible snarl and his eyes burned at her, Maria ran out of the corridor.

There were security officers protecting the entrance of the hall, it seemed like they weren't allowing anyone in. Maria halted quickly in front of them in surprise. They all looked at each other in confusion as they turned their heads from each other to her.

"um Hi, I'm sorry Papa Ernesto said I could take his cute alebrije to bed with me to snuggle with" she said with an innocent smile as she pulled the sleeping alebrije close to her cheek to rub it against hers. The security guards let out an audible 'aww' at the cute display "uhh yes, anyways, excuse me"

She dashed past them as she climbed up the stairs that were behind the corridor. She didn't knew where she was going, in fact she was positive she'd get lost, but her stubborn head wouldn't let her quite running as far as her legs could carry her.

Ernesto burst through the doors and he looked wildly around only to see his security guards chatting among themselves.

"What are you doing!?" he yelled his hair in the complete mess as he tried to readjust it "she ran right in front of you, idiots!"

The security guards looked at each other in confusion once more

"Sir, she told us she was taking your alebrije to bed" one of the guards told him. Ernesto looked at his Guards dumbfounded at their idiocy, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath holding his hands closely to his mouth.

"She was running away, and you didn't think of stopping her?" Ernesto was fuming, but he quickly tightened his lips together to give a strained smile "go find her, before you're all replaced with tracking dogs"

The guards stood still in shock

"¿Que están esperando? una mamada? ¡ve ahora!" Ernesto yelled in frustration. He watched as his guard's scrambled up to their feet and ran up the staircase where he assumed Maria had ran to. Ernesto let out a raspy heated sigh, she still had his alebrije so at least Ernesto knew that he would be able to find her. He calmly recollected himself with that thought. Yes, he could easily track down his alebrije with no problem, He would not allow himself to lose her again.

When sunsets comes she'll be stuck in the land of the dead forever

Again, that wasn't a problem for Ernesto

And she'll become a calavera forever

That's what made him stop for a moment. Maria was alive, she was radiate, breathing, warm. Her fingers left a trail of warm gold on his arms , Her cheeks that grew red when flustered, Her laugh that penetrated into the hollow depths of his chest. She made him feel full. He wanted her all to himself, her smile, her body, her soul. He wanted to feel alive again.

"Oye compadre!" Ernesto patted the old man's back. The old man took a second to readjust himself after Ernesto surprised him. Ernesto found him still idly standing near the pool "i'm sorry for interrupting you"

"Not at all Senor Ernesto! Always happy to see your face, Did you find your nieta?"

"Yes she's just taking a small rest, past her bedtime and all" he joked and the old man laughed along

"Well I suppose she has a bit of time, your sunrise spectacular is in a few more hours, you might have to send her home before then, oh she won't be able to see you perform"

"Yes, but I think it's for the best" Ernesto gripped his chin in thought "Speaking of the blessing, I may know why Maria was able to come see me"

"Really? Well compa share"

"Maria entrusted in me and told me that she had been-...oh it's just so hard to say" Ernesto struggled with his words as he feigned his best teary face making his voice crack. The old man fell for it as he looked at Ernesto in concern "She had been abandoned by her family, forgotten, being orphaned from a young age!"

"Oh Ernesto did you not know?"

"This was kept a secret from me, it seemed that they didn't want me to know about their whereabouts" Ernesto gripped his chest in false pain "oh the Trouble they went through just so I wouldn't find out, and now they forgot about my precious nieta!"

"Compa that's terrible, they must have been struggling if they would go as far as leave the young girl" The old man thought for a moment as he pieced Ernesto's story together "She must have prayed to find a way to you to cross the bridge over to us"

"A Prayer?"

"Well yes, A strong prayer from an innocent soul, The wrath of an individual, or even the grudges of families passing from generations to generations are enough to find resolution to the land of the dead. Why even a family dispute" the man explained Ernesto listened half interested "i've been in the land of the dead for a long time my friend, and the stories and extraordinary feats i've seen, let me tell you, never cross a woman's wrath"

"I see, well that's why I came to you, you seem to know alot about the blessing" Ernest said with a sigh "I know I must take Maria back to the land of the living before it's to late but it just tears me apart to know that she has noone to go back to. I didn't know if there was a way that she could possibly..?"

The old man caught on quickly he widened his eyes in shock but gave Ernesto a sympathetic pat

"Hermano, I understand your pain but unfortunately a blessing will only work to bring your loved on back home to the land of the living" Ernesto's shoulders tightened at the old man's statement "but.. I have heard of some stories.."

This caught Ernesto's attention quickly

"What kind?"

"Well, no pain sharing them I suppose. Just old stories i've heard here and there. I know you have the best intentions for little Mari" Ernesto's hands twitched slightly "so, it wouldn't really matter."

"Do keep going, compa" Ernesto pressed on

"well...There are blessings, full of the best intentions and good will, and then...there are Curses"


	7. Serenata Sin Luna

She was lost and still she was surprised, maybe it was the small voice in her head that kept telling her that if she kept running just a little bit more she'd find a way out. But deep inside of herself she knew better, and at this point she didn't know what to do. Her legs were close to giving out on her and her arms were exhausted of holding the small alebrije, she had thought about leaving it at the step of the stairs but that would have made the guards suspicious. She also didn't want to risk the alebrije acting like a trail of breadcrumbs to lead the guards to her,just like Pepita. Maria shuddered at the thought,

Maria continued to walk along the long hallways of the mansion, she knew that she had to find a place to rest soon. She didn't know if the guards needed rest, but she knew that she did. Maria wanted to succumb to the marble floor below her. Her eyes were not only tired from exhaustion but from the tears that were threatening to form. She wouldn't allow them now wasn't a time for tears, they never solved anything. She still had to get back home,she still had to keep her promise. She had to make sure Hector wouldn't be forgotten. With a deep breath she kept her balance along the endless hallways wall. Though Maria could control her tears she couldn't stop her thoughts. All she could see were Ernesto's eyes as she run away from him. Maria struggled to keep her eyes open, she thought of Her Mama Imelda's arm reaching outwards towards her, snatching her away. The fading corpse of Chicharrón's body turning into an opaque gold dust. Maria couldn't stand it anymore, she collapsed onto her knees gripping the alebrije tighty to her chest. She couldn't even think straight anymore, the only images forming in her mind were of her mama and papa..her papa?

Was that her papa? In front of her reaching towards her? She stretched out her arm in hope

"Papa?" she asked quietly

"Nina?"

"...Hector..promise?"

She collapsed in his arms and all she could see was red.

 **"** **¿** **Ahora porque estas t** **ímido** **?"**

Hector fidgeted with the buttons on his coat jacket, his eyebrows knitted together in discomfort. He stood with his best friend since childhood as they stood in gardena of the houses courtyard. Above was a balcony that just called for a romantic ballad to be sung. Hector gulped down and he could feel his dry throat clench together

"i-I'm not nervous!" Hector's voice cracked as he tried to defend himself. His friend gave him smug grin, he ruffled his hair up. Hector was startled as he smacked his friends hand away from his hair trying to comb it back into place, as best he could

"It'll just be one little song and I'll be the only one she can see, there's nothing to be worried about" His friend tried to ease his worries. "If anything **you** should be giving me the pep talk 'vamos muchacho go get her!' 'you'll swoon he off her feet' 'she'll realize your meant for her this time!' and such things"

"Well im sorry i'm a little worried" Hector tried to reason "last time she threw her flower macetas towards your head, I was positive we weren't going to be able to hide that scar from your mom" Hector said as he remembered the terrifying image of His best friend running for cover as he jumped back over the high walls of the house, apparently she threw her clay pots towards his friend, he shivered from the memory.

"This time will be different" His friend said mostly to himself

"How so?" he asked with a frown

"I've got you with me!" he proclaimed proudly as he slapped his hand on his back. Hector straightened his back out of reaction of his friends painful pat on the back. Yes, this was the first time Hector would accompany his friend over the other side of the wall. "I haven't sung her a song yet"

Hector let out a disillusioned sigh but decided not to comment on it any further, he pulled out his guitar and placed it in front of himself ready to play.

"Ready when you are" He said with a smile

"That's the spirit, Chamaco!" His friend bounced, he held his fingers up to his lips to quiet down Hector as he threw a pebble up to the balcony window. Hector couldn't help but inwardly squirm, not only were they trespassing on private property but now they were in risk of breaking said property. Hector had to remind himself that his friend had been doing this for the past month, much to his own displeasure. He decided not to delve on that fact but the moment that the young woman's head popped out of the balcony window he was instantly reminded of all the jealousy he held for his friend. She was beautiful, her black hair that was usually in a tight bun was cascading down to her back and her white large nightgown that contrasted against her dark skin made her look like an angel. Hector reminded himself that his friend had probably been seeing this angel every night for the past month, this thought left a bitter stain.

"Ernesto…" The angel spoke with a low tone in annoyance "can I have just one night where I don't have to Throw my favorite flowers at your head?"

"Than maybe tonight you'll actually let me hand you those flowers?" Ernesto quipped back towards the angel, She rolled her eyes

"Im this close to calling my brother to chasing you out" she said

"So that they can invite me inside again? By the way tell you mother and father that the pan dulce was delicious and my mother loved the food your mom made me take home"

The angel groaned as she leaned onto the balcony in exasperation, She remembered. Ernesto gave her a dashing smile as he adjusted his coat, he had already won over her family.

"Ernesto it's late and i'd really like to go to bed without your stupid face in my head"

"So you've been dreaming of me?"

"That's not what I meant idiota! Look you know where you came in from, let yourself out" The angel was about to go back inside of her house. Ernesto seemed to have planned this as he pointed towards Hector to begin the song. The moment Hector began to strum his guitar The angel froze as she looked back towards Ernesto who was still smiling towards her.

Hector watched the exchange between the two as The angel looked at Ernesto with grabbing couriousty As Ernesto egan to sing the slow love bolero. It wasn't an original song, in fact it was a pretty well known song in their small town, always great for love confessions. The angel leaned onto the balconies railing as she caught sight of Hector playing of to the side of Ernesto, Hector couldn't help but become flustered as she noticed him but he continued to play, Ernesto gave him a wink in appreciation as he continued to sing, The angel looked back towards Ernesto with a small smile as she allowed herself to lean into her hand, Hector knew he was done for.

"Do you think a Scrawny guy like me has a chance with a girl like her?

"Not in a million years"

Hector remembered what his friend told him the night he and Ernesto had first seen her,he lowered his head as he continued to play to hide his displeasure. He should feel happy for his friend, right? He's getting the girl, he's getting the one. As Hector ended playing the song The girl had placed both of her arms on top of the railing as her head leaned towards the side, she looked like a perched angel looking down from the clouds

"Senorita Imelda, are you not going to throw out your beautiful pots?"

Imelda gave Ernesto a smug grin and shook her head

"No, not tonight. are you going to keep singing?"

Ernesto gave her a wide triumphant smile

"Only if you want me to"

Imelda held her finger up to her lips and looked like she was thinking

"Then I guess this is goodnight" Imelda was about to enter her house again but she turned as she gave Ernesto a well knowing smile "are you going to play at the tavern tomorrow?"

Ernesto knew this game, they played it each night before he left

"Of course senorita Imelda, will you be there?

"No" but she would be, like every night before.

As she closed the doors behind her Ernesto made sure that she was out of earshot as he jumped up in joy. Hector placed the guitar back into place and he couldn't help but let out a small laugh in humor from his friends Actions

"Hector!" Ernesto turned to him in surprise, Hector was about to apologize for making fun of him instead Ernesto lifted up the tall scrawny boy in his arms "Did you see that amigo?! That the first time she's let me stay on my own!"

"Hehehe yeah Ernesto! See you had nothing to worry about!" Ernesto set the boy down with a smile

"Well of course not, you finally calmed your nerves at the right time" he jabbed Hector into his shoulder, Hector rubbed his shoulder lightly.

"Come on amigo lets go, how about drinks on me!"

Hector wanted to agree to Ernesto's offer but he knew he needed to wake up bright and early tomorrow to help with work.

"Thanks Ernesto but you know i'm trying to save up money for a new guitar, gotta help Senora Leticia at her store tomorrow"

Ernesto rolled his eyes but nodded anyways he gave the boy another tight hug and started to climb over the wall still in glee.

"No problem hermano" he huffed out "just don't forget to find me later in the plaza, alright?"

"Of course!" Hector called out. He sighed out as he flipped his guitar over his shoulder to climb over the wall, he should have asked Ernesto for help.

"So your Hector?" The boy jumped startled as her turned around and saw Imelda leaning out of her door

"Um- yes I Um Buenos tardes- I.. uh I Mean Buenas noches señorita Imelda!" Hector unceremoniously tucked his head in embarrassment. He didn't expect Imelda to scare him, or even acknowledge him at all. "Um sorry I think Ernesto just left do you want me to go find him?"

Imelda gave hector a dry laugh, but shook her head.

"Please three minutes away from him would be a blessing" she laughed

"I- he's a great guy" Hector said without thinking. He should have jumped of the wall when he had the chance.

"You really think so?" Imelda asked placing one of her hands onto her hips waiting for his answer. Hector swallowed in embarrassment

"One of the most hardest working guys I know" he said "if anything he's very goal driven"

"Thats one way to put it I guess" Imelda let out a small huff but quickly gave Hector a smile, He could feel his cheeks burn up.

"And what about you?" she asked "how long have you played the guitar?"

"Um- for about seven years now Senorita" imelda gave his an impressed look

"How old are you?"

"I- I'm 14"

"...Half of your life" she said quietly "well, your very good."

"Oh- Thank you senorita imelda!" he said quickly to her compliment and gave her a bow in appreciation, he didn't notice and the top of the guitar hit the back of his head "-ouch"

Imelda let out a small laugh, Hector would have endoured hours of pain if it meant to hear her laugh for longer.

"..thank you, Hector and if someone like you thinks Ernesto is a good guy...then I guess I can give him a chance" Imelda said "the song sounded wonderful goodnight Hector"

She didn't allow him to respond as she closed her door on last time Leaving hector in the courtyard by himself, A blushing mess.

As he walked back home Hector couldn't help but think about his exchange with Imelda. His heart was pounding against his chest and he could feel the tips of his ears burn from his cheeks. He thought he was going crazy, who wouldn't have? Imelda the beautiful angel just complimented his guitar playing, he had to be dreaming. Maybe Imelda did throw her pots and Hector was currently lying in her courtyard with a concussion, that would make more sense. The more Hector walked the more he realized that he wasn't dreaming. For the short moment he had with Imelda Hector would like to believe that maybe, just maybe, A million years wasn't that far fetched. Wait, what did she mean by 'someone like him?'

 **"Come on chamaca! You gotta be alright"**

Maria's eyelids slowly fluttered open as she made out the figures around herself. She knew she was on some sort of bed, it was soft and fluffy. She sat up and took a deep breath out of shock. Maria almost felt a burning sensation begin. from her fingertips up into her arms, she felt her skin burning from the inside.

"ahh a OWw" Maria let out a small grunt of pain as she held onto her head.

As she connected her hands onto her temple she felt a flourishing bloom spread from her veins flowing onto her palm. She quickly pulled her hands away from her face and looked frantically around the room

"Chamaca?" Hectors voice was smooth but enough to draw her out of her thoughts. She looked up towards to the worried esqueleto who looked at her with nothing but pure concern. " can you hear me? I'm right here in front of you"

"Hec..tor? Is that really you" Maria shook her head in confusion "how long was I out for?"

"Just a few minutes" he said "I found you passed out in the hallway"

"I just got so tired I.." She suddenly shoot her arm out and looked at her hand in fear "What is on my arms?"

"Wha-what are you talking about, nina?" Hector looked at her and down at her arms

"I felt this-" Maria examined her arms. There was nothing on them, nothing wrong. Just two regular human arms "pain"

"Maria are you okay?" Hector gently sat on the bed along side with her wrapping his arms around her to give her in support. Maria couldn't help but jump slightly from the contact "nina?"

"I'm..I can't no" Maria pushed herself aside from hector as she rejected his comforting arms. Hector was surprised by her rejection but didn't want to make her further uncomfortable "I messed up big time"

"Chamaca, you didn't get your blessing?" he asked

"I don't know what happened, he he- didn't want me to leave." Maria explained "He wanted me to stay"

"Ay Maria-" he breathed out "I really didn't think he would do this"

"What do you mean?" Maria was perplexed, did Hector think that Her Papa was capable of this the whole time?

"Well like I told you I knew Ernesto growing up and he has always been trying his whole life to fill an empty space that he could never fill, even going as far as abandoning what was important to him to prove to himself to them" Hector said as he tucked his knee underneath his arm leaning against it in thought.

Like Mama coco and Mama Imelda, Maria thought. It began to make sense to her. A visual puzzle piece stemming from the moment he abandoned them.

"He's trying to replace them with me" Maria thought aloud

"Yes" Hector said agreeing with her. His hand slightly scratched the side of his head "I'm still surprised that he remembers, even though it was so long ago"

"Were you there?" Maria ask looking over her shoulder to make eye contact with him, Hector cleared his throat a bit uncomfortable.

"I guess you can say I played a bit of a factor, but none of that really matters now, and it shouldn't especially to him" Hector said as he tugged at his torn jacket slightly "I was his only friend while we traveled around"

"Did he ever tell you anything about returning to them?"

Hector gave Maria a bit of a frown as he cocked his head slightly but quickly shook his head

"He must've kept that to himself, besides he must have meet a girl that looked just like you when she was your age"

"Mirror images" Maria said with a huff of an agreement "but nothing else alike"

Hector couldn't help but let out a loud laugh, disturbing the sound asleep alebrije that laid next to Maria, which she had only noticed up until now. Hector quickly covered his mouth with his hand to stop the chihuahua from waking up.

"it kept following us and growling at me until I laid you onto the bed" Hector whispered out of his hands pointing at the small alebrije. He couldn't help but let out another quieter laugh.

"What's so funny" Maria asked with a slight sneer

"You really remind me of her"

Her great great grandmother? Maria wanted to ask him but quickly realized that if Hector and her Papa Ernesto had known each other for so long he obviously must have known her as well. Instead she simply shook her head, Her mama Imelda would be the only one who could give her the blessing. Maria lifted he legs and jumped off the bed, as she stood her legs felt like jelly for a moment but she quickly regained her stability. Hecto stood up from the bed and followed maria with his eyes as he saw her quickly saw the large window in the room and quickly went over to open it, as she looked out she saw how high up they were, she shouldn't have been surprised. She **did** have to take a lift to even get up to the mansion to begin with.

"I have to find my other family" Maria spoke aloud "they are the only ones who will give me their blessing"

"Nina what are you talking about? Wasn't the whole point of getting to your Papa was so that you could still play music?"

"Yes but obviously…" Maria bit her onto her lip "he wont let me go back home, I made a promise to you Hector. Get me to Ernesto's mansion and i'll put you on my familia's ofrenda table. Well the first part was fulfilled now I have to keep my end"

"But- you'll be sent back having to give up on you music"

"I know"

"What about everything you worked so hard for nina?"

Maria was surprised by Hector's concern for her own goal, this whole time she thought he had been selfish just to get to the land of the living but now she knew just a little better

"Didn't you say so yourself! 'This might be the last time I can see my family'? Well I made a promise to you and I intend to keep it"

Hector knew he shouldn't be denying the possibility of seeing his family, but why was the girl so willing to give up on all her goals, just to help a sorry guy like himself?

"What's the plan,nina?" Hector asked as he held his head with his eyes closed "going back downstairs and just hoping nobody will notice The Grand Ernesto's Great Great Grand niece leaving his party?"

"Well, when you say it like that it just makes it sound silly" Maria said underneath her breath in annoyance she looked back out of the window, a plan started to formulate in her head "hey Hector how far can your bones be from each other that you can still control them?"

"It doesn't matter how far they are, you can still control your skeleton parts from all the way across town, calling them back is a different story" Hecto said not really paying attention to Maria

"How far can you call yourself back from?"

"About maybe 41-43 meters, why do you ask?"

Maria gave him a smile as she pointed out of the window. Outside was a cable that wrapped itself around the mansion, it must has been on of the mechanisms that allowed to lift to work properly.

"You are not thinking..?" Hector stepped away from the window holding his hands in front of him.

"It' the best we got going for us" Maria said "I...don't want to see my Papa Ernesto again"

Hector looked down at maria expression and let out a strained groan.

"Alright okay let's see-" Hector started climbing out of the window "you better hope this works chamace!"

"That's all I got going for me" Maria said with a sad smile as she helped Hector out onto the floor. But before Hector could reach out to the cable they both jumped up startled.

The alebrije started barking at small dog shouted repeatedly as it pounced on the bed like a crazed rabbit.

"What in the-?" Maria looked at Hector but he gave he the same confused expression as he clung onto the windows ledge. Before Maria could go over to shush the chihuahua she heard the door knock viciously.

Maria stared in shock as the door began to thud, she quickly turned to the loudly barking chihuahua and towards hector.

"The alebrije, did it-?" before Maria could finish she heard a recognizable voice.

"She has to be in this one, my alebrije is in there" His voice was low but Maria could still make out who it belonged to. Without a second guess maria shoot towards the door and quickly opened it.

There in front of her Stood her Papa Ernesto completely filling the door frame, he looked down at her with a calm expression as a small smile began to form onto his lips, his arms held tightly onto his back

"Maria.." He greeted softly towards her "did you have a nice rest?"

Without skipping a beat Maria quickly shut the door into his face. Even turning the small lock of the door handle, just for extra measure. She leaned onto the door with wide eyes and breathless shock.

Maria quickly looked at Hector as he still clung onto the window frame

"Hide"


	8. Intoxicating

"It's a two person requirement" The old man began "through a strong feeling that bonds them. It can be hatred, jealousy, or even love"

Ernesto listened carefully to the old man's words as a plan began to form through his mind. He needed something strong to bond Maria and him together.

"Like I said before, I've been here a long time and thankfully my family has remembered me throughout generations, but with my time here I've experience what some would call true horror stories"

"Horror?" Ernesto raised his brow bone slightly. That statement didn't give him a sound feeling "Like what, amigo?"

"Well, curses can take many forms, compa" the older man thought "there are tales of a sorrowful woman looking for her children eternally trapped in the land of the living for committing such an atrocity of killing her own said children. Young ones who appear in the land of the dead as lost children. It can be melded in any way, why even The tale of the horrid love triangle"

This caught Ernesto's attention

"The horrid love triangle?"

"Yes, it's a tale as old as the runes here in the land of the dead. A tale of warning if anything" The old man began, Ernesto signaled the man to continue "as always the story begins with a beautiful woman and two men fighting for her hand. But one of the men only wanted her hand for her families riches while the other was simply infatuated by the idea of her. The man looking for nothing but gold decided to kill the other dangerously love sick man. The young woman how truly did not love either of the men was stuck marrying the man who only wanted her for her riches. The man who came to the land of the dead was horrified to learn that he was now incapable of ever seeing the young woman again and absolutely in rage when he discovered the truth of his death"

"This is a terrible tale compa" Ernesto spoke up, truthfully his story was starting to drag a bit on for him. He tried to make the man reveal the secret to the curse "i'm almost afraid to ask how the curse was made"

"It really is and you should be scared, compa! Like I said this is a tale of warning!" The old man waved his finger like a livid preacher, Ernesto had to suppress a frown, the old man continued "The young man who died was desperate to see the woman again so when he was able to cross the bridge thanks to an ofrenda his family put up he immediately went to find the young woman, but she had forgotten about him, for she had never truly loved him. Devastated the young man was filled with anger not only for the man who killed him but for the young unaware woman. That sunrise he grabbed a fistfull of marigold and dirt from the ground and proclaimed his curse 'to the dastardly bastard who killed me, make him suffer a horrible death and to always relive the moments he stole from me! And to the one I love let her stay immortal, forever remembering the pain of ever forgetting me!' the story ends with two died young fools suffering in the land of dead together for eternity and a young woman who truly had no fault in these young mens endeavours who now suffers remembering the face of the young man who cursed her"

Ernesto thought for a moment of the man's tale, it seemed to make since story wise. A nice tle to tell children who misbehaved, but it told him nothing about the curse, This irritated him.

"That's terrible" Ernesto began "it seems that the curse can come from anything'

"No not anything, like I said before. The curse requires two people, in the story it was the man who passed away and the girl. A strong feeling, the hatred the man held for his murderer. And the marigolds petals"

"The marigold petals?"

"Well yes they contribute to the curse, but it could also have been the dirt he held alongside with them." the old man thought silently to himself for a moment "Usually a blessing only needs a relative, a marigold petal, and promising blessing.

"But the curse was casted by the man's ill feeling" Ernesto thought aloud "affecting both the woman and the one who killed him"

"Yes from what built up to it, it's said that the curse was actually fulfilled before he casted it, but once he did it was set it in stone"

"That's quite fascinating, he was really capable of setting what he wanted" Ernesto said quietly but quickly realized he said it out loud "How terrifying, to think that people could do that to the ones they love"

"Yes, but in the end every party suffered. There's no good that ever comes from a curse amigo and it's better like that"

"You right compa well I need to go say goodbye to my chiquita before it's too late" Ernesto said with a deep dramatic sigh, just to sell it a bit more. "Thank you again, and please can you repeat your name to me I want to make sure I remember it"

"Oh no problem amigo, i'm just a simple old guitar player, you can call me Fausto" Fausto, Ernesto seemed to remember that name but he couldn't place were he heard it from, He gave the man a smile and a quick side hug.

"Thank you again Fausto, please enjoy the rest of your night" Ernesto walked away from the man, a small grin formed on his face, he knew what to do now.

Fausto watched Ernesto walk away from him as he took a small sip of his glass, he wondered if what he did was the right thing. He prayed to any great being above that everything would be okay.

Ernesto rushed into his ofrenda grand hall room and grabbed the first marigold flower he could find and tucked it into his jacket, next he found a beautiful rose bouquet among his grand ofrenda. The beautiful flower were a deep red with a vivid smell the roses petal stained his clear white bones as he picked it up.

"Every girl like roses"

Ernesto sneered he had to keep a clear mind, focusing solely on sweet little Maria. He took a petal from both the marigold flower and the rose ad rubbed them roughly together leaving only but the stains and damp petals on his fingers, his lips curled into a smile. He thought of nothing but the beautiful angel who danced away from him so many years ago.

"Ay Maria, I wish nothing but for you to stay eternally youthful and beautiful. That you never lose you shine and color no matter where you are" He gave the petals a small kiss "You mine Maria. Your body, your soul, and everything that came before you. You'll alway be remembered by my side"

Ernesto stared silently as the petal began to gave off a deep red color combined with the marigolds natural light, it was a dark twisted blooming red. The light began to brighten as it twined itself into his arms leaving the stain of the petal roses and vines creeping all the way up into his forearms. He felt a deep cold sensation build up from his spine, but he was too late to back out now.

Oh it hurt, Ernesto could do nothing but grit his teeth together as he held onto the petals with both of his hands allowing his arms to be covered into the burning a twisting touch. It was like picking a wild rose with nothing but your bare hands, for the rose was too beautiful to not take, but covered around the stem where a line of razor thorns waiting for blood to satisfy them. The stem pricked into his bones leaving an imprint pattern of rose vines and thorns decorating each of his finger creating the illusion of an unkempt vineyard onto his arms. Ernesto let out a deep groan that growled out from the depths of his chest as he fell onto the floor, he gripped his arms as he felt the pain begin to subdue. He felt the vines pulse as though they were living veins pulsing blood throughout his arms, he knew that this was Maria's heart beat.

"Maria you can feel this can't you?" Ernesto whispered to himself as he clutched onto his arms letting out a smile "somos dos en unos, Mi Maria"

Ernesto couldn't help but let out a loud laugh in triumph as he continued to hold his arms. Finally all those years of gaining fame to impress the only girl who mattered, he was going to have it all.

"Nothing will keep us away now mi pequeña, not even if you want it to"

Finding his Alebrije was easy, he simply called to it and instantly his alebrije called to where it was hiding, along with his precious nieta. He found her in one of the guest bedrooms. Ernesto almost scoffed at the thought of her in that room, how foolish was she? When all of this was sorted he would be sure to place her in the most beautiful bedroom he had, fit for a princess. Then why not just his own? He smiled at the thought. He felt her heart quicken through his arms as he knew that she could feel them getting closer.

"She has to be in this one, my alebrije is in there" he pointed to his guards. They allowed him to walk through them once they were done banging the door, Ernesto's hand hovered over the door handle, but he felt the connection burn through his arms. Instantly the door clicked open

Maria looked at him with a breath less stare, her eyes widen in shock and Ernesto couldn't help but smile. He could see her expression change as she tried to think as to how he found her, he could feel her heart pounding. Her fingers tips trembled

"Maria.." He kept the smile on his face "did you have a nice rest?"

Ernesto stared at the shut door he even heard the door click with the lock, he let out a small breath. He pulled out his arm from his back as he adjusted the sleeve, neatly tucking his buttons back into place. She was still capable of breaking the connection, but he now had an eternity to practice.

"Break it down" he commanded not even looking at his guards, The security guard to his side rammed his shoulder into the door giving it a couple of blows before the frame let out and the door was no longer an obstacle

The guard allowed Ernesto to walk in as they stayed a outside. his small smile still on his face, He saw Maria fall frozen under his gaze, he felt her pulse through his arms. It was an incredible feeling and he he wanted more, almost like a drug he knew he was addicted to, now and forever.

"Maria, Maria what a scare you gave this old man" Ernesto said as he placed a hand onto his chest "I thought I lost you, again"

"I was just resting, like you said" Maria kept her back against the window as her arms held onto the window sill. Ernesto saw her eye's shifted uncomfortable as she avoided any eye contact from him

"If it was just a small rest you wanted, why did you cause all that trouble?" Ernesto loved this, he was in control and he could see Maria scrambled for excuses

"I don't know what your talking about" Maria said turning her head to ignore his accusations "I was just tired is all" Ernesto could feel his eye twitch. She kept her back pressed against the window Ernesto Noticed how she pressed her heels to the back of the wall as she tried to cover the window with her whole body.

"What are you hiding, chiquita?" Ernesto asked in a low voice

Maria's eyes widened at his acquisition, he caught her.

"What are you talking about! I'm not hiding anything!"

"Then move" he glared down towards her. This was beginning to infuriate him. She had to listen to him!

Maria's body froze as Ernesto felt his arms twitch from his command but he could feel her struggle against it. Impatiently he grabbed Maria by her bare shoulder and shoved her aside. She quickly gripped onto his arm trying stop him. The moment she made contact with him she felt the dull pain in her arms light up again, almost like a flickering candle against her skin. Ernesto was pushed off balance,surprised by her strength but it was too late.

Maria sucked in a breath through her teeth as she felt her chest constraint against itself in anticipated fear. There in front of Ernesto was nothing but an open window with a quickly handmade rope from the beds sheets. Ernesto looked out of the window and saw nothing but the night sky and the bed sheet blowing gently in the night breeze. When he pulled his head back into the window he pulled along the bed sheet with him

"Maria.." Ernesto turned to her but his eyes stayed on the bed sheet that was around his hand "what were you planning to do?"

"that's ..not" what could maria say? She could feel the anger growing in Ernesto and she was right in the eruption zone. "It's not what it looks like"

"Well I guess i'm going blind but it seems like you were planning on jumping out with nothing but a bedsheet rope" Ernesto's voice was no longer calm nor even. Maria stepped away but she felt the back of her knees hit the side of the bed, trapped. "Almost as if you were planning to simply..jump?"

"I wouldn't do something so stupid!" Maria said grabbing her skirt as her fist gripped onto the pretty white fabric. How dare he accuse her of thinking so lowly of herself to bring herself any harm!

"Then what exactly where you planning!?" Ernesto's voice deepen as he swiftly strided towards her, closing whatever space was in between them. Maria felt her arms beat violently. Maria bite her tongue in suppression as she stared right into Ernesto's fearsome eyes. Her eyes told him everything he needed to know

"Ahh.." Ernesto raised one of his brow bone towards Maria in mocking shock. He pulled the bed sheet off of his arm as he threw it behind her. Maria closed her eyes from the swift movement but when she opened her eyes she realized that she was now staring at ernesto at eye level as he crouched evenly to met her. "You thought you could run away from me? Is that it?"

Maria lips trembled as she left her arms begin to burn with a temperate heart beat that didn't match her own. As she opened her mouth Ernesto placed his finger on her lips to quiet her down, Maria noticed the now vine decorated hands. How all the markings pulse and when they did they let out a flash of red, had they been there before? Maria couldn't find it in herself to ask. She flinched slightly as his fingers traced the side of her face and she felt the etched marking onto her skin.

"Maria I offer you the world at yet you want to go back to people how deny you the simple luxury of doing what you love?" Maria turned her head away from him violently, not wanting to look at him. As she looked off to her side she realized that Hectors photo was on the floor next to her heel, it must have fell from her skirt when she rushed towards Ernesto. "Do you despise me that much?"

Maria looked back towards Ernesto and she could see deep into his rage full eyes, there was something of a painful abandonment peeking through, Maria couldn't trust it. Ernesto saw tha Maria didn't fall for his act as he stood back straight, Maria did nothing but stare back towards him with a glare

"You would give me the world but not my family. Your just using me to fill the emptiness in your own heart!" Maria stood on the tips of her heels to lean towards Ernesto, she was scared and intimidate but she still had to keep her promise "it's your own fault for abandoning them and thinking you needed to 'prove' you love for them!"

"Prove?" he said the word quietly but Maria could feel the insult twisted into his voice, She had just hit a chord. Ernesto stared down towards Maria, his confucion was easily read off of his face but it was almost as though he was trying to find something in Maria's. Before he could respond to her, his eyes darted to the floor as he saw her attempt to kick something behind her. Ernesto realized that she was only trying to distract him. Ernesto pushed his chest into her causing Maria to sink into the bed making her loose footing and allowing him to pick up the photo. Maria quickly tried to stand up again and pull the picture out of his hands but he rested his hands onto her shoulders and Maria felt the burning in her arms begin to prick as she saw the decorations covering his arms pulse out a bright red, she stayed firmly sitting on the bed. Ernesto picked up the picture of Hector off of the ground recognizing the face instantly.

"Where did you find this?" he asked, Maria was almost afraid of how calm he was again, she took in a sharp breath.

"th-That's none of your business!"s he tried to pull his arm off of her. Though he held no pressure onto her shoulders, Maria found it next to impossible to stand up. It was as though there was a invisible weight on her. Ernesto was really quiet was he looked back towards Maria, his face was unreadable as he whispered into maria's ear

"Tell me"

A burning pressure grew on her face as she instantly mouth open without her consent, she place her hands over her mouth in reaction but it didn't stop her muffled answer from coming out.

"It was given to me in promise" her hands still over her mouth

"Promise?"

"We promised each other, he would bring me to your party to find you and I would put him on my families ofrenda" Maria felt the surge of tears about to fall from her eyes, what was she doing!? She couldn't feel any control in her body, her arms pulsing began to slow down. Ernesto grip on her shoulder loosened but she still couldn't find her strength to move

"Hector brought you here.." Ernesto let out a smile as he began to chuckle as the gears in his head began to turn.

This was enough to send a fire through Maria as she found her strength again and pushed herself off of the bed away from Ernesto's hand.

"What are laughing at!?"

"I find it so funny,mija" Ernesto said as he pretended to wipe a tear off the side of his cheek in laughter "here you are accusing me about using you when you're too blind to see that everyone has been using **you** from the beginning for their own advantages"

"What are you talking about?"

"Your family wants nothing but for you to quit music? Don't you think it just so odd that something you're so talented at and makes you happy, is something that you family wants to rid you off. Even as going as far as denying your blessing so that you stay with them, for what? To be their obedient little girl for the rest of you life? And now Hector, sweet selfless Hector, what did he tell you?"

"he-He just want to ge see his family, he's been gone for such a long time and nobody remembers him" Ernesto sat onto the bed surprising Maria as he grabbed her by the side of her waist and pulled her along with him, Maria pulled away but his finger dug into her hip bone causing her to sit neatly onto his lap.

"I have known Hector my whole living life, Maria" he said as he wrapped his arms around her, gripping her chin to look at him. Maria sat uncomfortably on his knee as she tried to pull herself from his grip "and that boy is nothing but the dirtiest liar out there"

"..your lying" she spat

"Ohh am I? What was the first thing you remember of him?"

"He was..trying to pass into the bridge dressed as Frida kahlo"

"Already lying"

"He was just trying to get to his family!"

"-and what was the first thing he said to you"

"...that he could get me to your place"

"And did he?"

"I...had to get here on my own"

Ernesto gave her a knowing smile and he raised his brow bone

"He..! He wasn't using me!"

"Than what was he trying to do?"

"to...get home"

"Using you for his own advantage"

"No!"

"Mijita are you really that dense or are you just ignorant? You really are a child"

Maria's face began to burn with anger as she pulled both her hands up pushing herself off of him. Bringing his arm towards her as she pulled the photo of Hector into her chest. Maria hadn't steadied herself and she didn't count in the extra height his lap gave, she fell onto the floor.

"And still you want to run away from everything I have to offer you,Maria" Ernesto said, she could her the smile in his voice. Maria wanted to curl up in a ball, she didn't know how to feel. Betrayed,angry, sad. NO! She wasn't going to be this week! Laying on the floor like some animal next To Ernesto's feet! She stood up ignoring the pain that twisted through her arms. She kept her back towards Ernesto as she gripped Hectors photo tightly into her chest.

"I'm keeping my promise" she said quietly "even if it means having to leave you and going back to the family **you** left behind"

Maria turned her head towards Ernesto, his face as calm as ever, she gave him a glare.

"Papa Ernesto, I'm going home"

"Really?"

"Yes! I want go home"

Ernesto let out a small 'humph' as he circled around he almost looked like a vulture, he gave her a small grin.

"Alright, whatever..my little Maria wants"

She didn't like the way he said her name, she didn't like the way it made her feel. The way his eyes were glued to her, the way his touched lingered on her skin. This man was her idol, for the longest time she looked up to him. Sure she might have had the tiniest crush on him when she first discovered him, but it was out of admiration of her sole inspiration. For the longest time he was simply an idea to her a faint unreachable image, but now He was her Papa. Her Papa Ernesto, Mama imelda's husband, Mama Coco's Father. She shouldn't feel this way, The way whenever a beautiful female lead appears in his movies, They way the cute girl at her school makes her feel when she looks at her. Maria knew that she shouldn't feel this way about other girls in general, and now Ernesto? Everything around her was confusing these emotions, her heart felt as though it was tightly clenching. Her arms pulsed with an unfamiliar fire and she felt it crept up into her shoulder and then her cheeks.

"Maria…" Maria was broken out of her thoughts as she saw Ernesto pull out a single marigold petal out of his suit pocket. She eyes widened at the petal, was he really going to send her home, just like that. "...I give you my blessing"

Ernesto's mouth turned into a vicious grin as the petal glow into a bright red color


	9. To Weigh Your Worth

"Why is she like this to me, amigo? Have I done something wrong?" Ernesto groaned as he paced back and forth.

He and Hector stood in the plaza center. Hector mindlessly was turning his guitar while listening to his friend complain,once again he was whining about La senorita Imelda. Hector held his tongue to keep his eyes from rolling.

"I gave her flowers, we went to the river up stream, I sang her a song, and then I took her back home" Ernesto explained, honestly Hector had heard this about fifteen time now. "And when I take back home I wait patiently by the doorstep. I can hear her family ready to welcome me inside and what does she do!?"

"Give you thanks and close the door" Hector sighed as he said his line "yes like all the other dates"

"Amigo this was different!" Ernesto said as he walked towards Hector with a slight crouched, he looked like he was about to tell him the secret to playing a six cord note with two fingers "this was the first time her brothers weren't escorting her!"

Hector looked up to Ernesto with a bit surprise, had her family grown to trust him with Imelda that much already, he had only officially been courting her for a little over a month. Ernesto suddenly snapped his finger like he made a breakthrough

"I have to do something grand" Ernesto said quietly to himself. Hector couldn't help but feel uncomfortable, he knew this act. He's seen a thousand times "maybe then she'll-"

"Why are you always so concerned about impressing everyone?" Hector said without thinking "you always worry about what other people think about you"

Ernesto considered his question for a moment

"Well why shouldn't I? Soon you and I will be famous songwriters and stars" Ernesto said boastfully as he placed on of his legs onto the step of the gazebo, throwing his arms into a semicircle, his actions commanding attention. "And with a beautiful girl Like Imelda in my arms everyone will see how charismatic and charming I am, perfect star material!"

"To prove to yourself?" Hector asked

"Well of course to prove that I-We can be stars!"

"Or to your Dad?"

Ernesto snapped his head towards Hector, he eyes closing into a shift glare. Hector scrunched his shoulders towards his ears, he should have kept his big mouth shut.

"I'm proving it to **myself** , orejon" Ernesto grumbled as he leaned onto his knee. Hector let out a small breath that he didn't know he was holding, he almost expected Ernesto to snap at him with a well deserved punch or two. He knew that his dad was a sensitive subject especially when he did nothing but beat Ernesto everyday and tirelessly insulted him. Hector considered himself lucky sometimes, he didn't have a father. That's why Ernesto and Hector grown up so close, Hector's mother usually took care of Ernesto while his father and mother were busy working to make ends meet. He truly tried to think of a time when he and Ernesto weren't together. Hector was actually surprised that Ernesto didn't even slap his shoulder, maybe Imelda had something to do with his friends sudden change. He almost wanted to scoof 'Imelda? The desert rose? So frigid and cold to all around her?' he thought and yet he couldn't help but feel incredibly sad.

The two boys were quiet in the calm afternoon of the plaza the only sound coming from Hector's sound guitar as he gave it a couple of strums

"How about roses?" Hector quietly quipped

"What?" Ernesto looked down back towards Hector could read his annoyance off of his face

"Have you gotten her roses?"

Ernesto thought for a moment as he tried to answer Hector's question

"No , I think I got her a bouquet of sunflowers, her mom is using them as a table centerpiece. I guess she didn't want to keep them" Ernesto scoffed

"Then you should get her roses"

"Why roses?"

"Every girl likes roses"

"Hmmm…Roses"

Ernesto focused solemnly, Hector hated when he did This, he acted like such a child. It almost made him laugh

"Hola muchachos!" Ernesto and Hector both turned their heads towards who called them, to whom called them. Hector had rarely seen them before but Ernesto usually called them-

"Ah los Hermanos piolín!" Ernesto widen his arms as he greeted them. They were Imelda's older twin brother.

"Buenos tardes Ernesto!" said Oscar as he set down a brown box onto the floor

"sí, Buenas tardes muchacho" said Felipe right behind him, he also carried a small brown box, he set it on top of Oscars.

"Como estan mis cunados?" Ernesto joked with the brothers. Oscar and felipe gave each other a knowing smile.

"Were better now, We were just picking up the leather order" Oscar said as he pointed towards the brown box.

"We saw you and thought you might still have a spare wagon laying around" Felipe joked, Ernesto couldn't help but frown at the boys this earned him a laugh from the twin brothers. Hector watched the exchange with fascination, they already acted like family.

"Como amaneció la belleza Imelda?" Ernesto asked, he didn't see Imelda with them. As he craned his neck to see if she was behind them.

"she helping prepare the ofrenda at our home for dia de los muertos next week"Oscar replied.

"yes, I think she's at the flower market trying to find some marigolds" Felipe finished

Oscar was the first to notice him, he looked at Hector with slight consideration, Hector gave a sheepish smile and a wave

"Um Hello" Hector said

"Hmm you must be Hector" Oscar said with an interested tone as he examined the boy. Hector was dumbfounded, he hadn't even given his name! Hector looked at Ernesto almost expecting his reaction as well, Ernesto just shrugged his shoulders 'it's just kinda their thing' his face read.

"Ah Hector!" Felipe raised both his eyebrows in surprise "Yes Imelda has told us a lot about you"

"Really?" Ernesto said with a slight pause. Hector didnt notice, he felt like his heart was stuck in his throat

"Yes, she told us that, Hector" Oscar gestured towards the boy "is a tall scrawny boy who is easily startled with big orejones, her words not ours"

Ernesto let out a loud belly laugh as Hector frowned sinking his head into his shoulders. Yes, Imelda was truly an awful woman, Hector would have to be very crazy to like someone like her.

"Estan hablando de mi?!" suddenly like she was summoned out of nowhere, Imelda came in holding a basket full of flowers. She rested it against her hip as her face turned from surprise to annoyance.

"Ah! Imeldita" Oscar greeted his sister. Felipe was the one that hid into his brothers side. "we thought you were still getting marigolds at Senora Leticia's store!"

Imelda gave her brother a side frown as she nodded her towards the basket in her arms.

"their just marigolds I wasn't buying the whole store" Imelda said. She look towards her brother and had barely noticed Ernesto and Hector, she gave them an interested glance "ah I see están haciéndose los chismosos"

Oscar and Felipe both gasped in fake offense. Imelda crossed her arms not impressed

"Imelda we are your brothers we would never treat our own little sister like that!" Felipe gasped. He and Oscar nodded in agreement. Imeda scoffed as she gave her brothers a side eye glance. She looked back towards the other two boys, Ernesto and Hector. She nodded in acknowledgement towards her currently ever so smiling courtier "Ernesto"

"Mi belleza" Ernesto replied "what's the most intelligent woman in all of santa cecilia doing today?"

"I don't know, wherever she is she probably doesn't have brothers who are always full of chisme" She said as she nudge her closest brother, Oscar, with her hip. She made it seem like a soft edge but Oscar stil jolted, he gave a small laugh. Imelda rolled her eyes, she saw Hector trying to hide behind his guitar. "Se dice buenos tardes, orejone!"

"Ah- si i'm sorry. Buenas tardes senorita Imelda!" Hector said, he realized that he didn't even greet her. He felt his cheeks grow red from embarrassment. He quickly stood up from his seat against the stair of the gazebo and nodded his head in apology.

"Ay Mi amor, There's no reason to scare the poor boy" Ernesto laugh slightly. But Hector could tell he was enjoying every minute of it, he gave Ernesto a slight frown, but it look more like a pout. Ernesto gave Hector a fake look of sympathy "Did she hurt your feelings, mijo?"

"I'm not a kid" Hector grumbled slightly, this earned him a slight snicker from the twin brothers, Hector couldn't help but frown again as he looked into the far distant 'this is my life now' he thought.

"No no no, i'm sorry" Ernesto quipped "did the hot headed beauty imelda hurt your feelings mi gran hombre"

The twins laughed, Hector slouched from embarrassment, and Imelda let out a small huff of air.

"Hot headed?" Imelda crossed her arm towards Ernesto, he gave he a side smile

"You know it comes from a place of utmost love and respect, mi amor" Ernesto said as he opened his arms in expression. Imelda turned her head with her arms still crossed but everyone could see her blushing cheeks, even Hector. Oscar slinged his arms around Imelda and he grabbed to top box from the ground.

"Well thank you boys so much for the laughs but we need to get home ad help our mother, Imelda didn't you have something to ask Ernesto?" This caught both Ernesto and Hectors attention. Imelda looked like she wanted to throw hands then and there with her brother, he just gave her a small smile. Imelda strained sigh, she walked toward Ernesto keeping the basket between them. Ernesto placed his hands on his hips with a waiting smile

"Ernesto my family.." her brother coughed behind her, she gave them each glares "and I would appreciate it if you would join us for dinner later today, nothing formal! Just come if you'd like"

"For you mi amor I would would drop anything in an instant to be with you" Ernesto said as he grabbed her hand and gave it a small kiss, Oscar and Felipe let out small whistles, men in their pueblo would do it to tell others to back off but at this moment everyone knew they were doing it to further fluster Imelda who's entire face had turned the brightest shade of red. Imelda gave her brother a tight frown of embarrassment.

"Look just come if you want to, bring your kid-friend if you want" Imelda said as she gestured towards Hector who was being ignored until now. Imelda walked back to her brother as they were picked up the rest of the boxes. Oscar and Felipe both gave the boys a wave of goodbye and imelda walked along she stopped in front of Ernesto "well?"

Ernesto looked at her in with a slight confused glance, he had just accepted the invitation, did she have another question? Hector realized what she was insinuating to, he gave his friend a slight nudge to stand next to her.

"Aren't you going to walk me home?" Imelda said "what kind of man are you if you won't make sure your girl doesn't arrive safely home?"

Ernesto quickly stood up straight and gave her dashing smile, Imelda frowned but it didn't stop her cheeks from reddening, he offered his arm towards her and she looped his small hands around it, keeping her eyes off of him. Ernesto grabbed her basket and walked with her, Ernesto waved to his friend and Imelda gave him a slight glance of acknowledgement . Hector watched as the two of them follow her brothers as the walked further from his sight, Hector let out a small beat of air through his nose as he shook his head. Yes Hector had to be really crazy to like someone like Imelda, he saw her smile as Ernesto was talking with her. Hector glanced towards the floor and saw that one of Imelda's flowers had fallen from her basket, It was a bright red rose.

 **Maybe he had to be just a little bit crazy.**

'This isn't right' Maria thought as she felt the glowing wrath of the marigold petal, it felt like an unbearable cold frosting up to her arms 'the marigold petal that her mama Imelda gave her glowed in a bright comfortable orange, not like this'

"St-Stay way" was all the Maria could muster, she didn't know why but she felt what was going on was not something she needed

"Maria didn't you want my blessing? To send you home? To see your despicable family?"

"That..isn't a blessing" Maria felt a lump form in the back of her throat, the frozen feeling was creeping up into her legs again. If she didn't move now she knew she'd be stuck, whatever that meant in her current situation "I don't know what that is but it isn't a blessing"

"You're a smart kid,Maria" Hector chimed his smile sent shivers down her spine "and smart kids like you should know better"

Maria understood immediately, he wanted a deal. Some sort of bargain.

"What do you want?"

"You want hector safe, Right?" Ernesto explained "alive, well alive as he can be in the land of the dead and remembered?"

"Yes.."

"Then i'll make sure of that" he said "he'll live off the rest of his days remembered by his..family"

"What do you want in exchange"

"Oh nothing but your happiness, Maria" he said brushing his hand against her collar bone to brush away any strand hairs, his fingers trailed up to her neck, maria felt the rush sink into her cheeks, the decorated vines against his fingers electrifying her skin "for you to stay happy and play the music deep within your heart. Everything you wish for. I'll give to you in a second. All you have to do-"

"Is stay with you" maria finished with a dull tone

"Smart girl" Ernesto whispered. Maria tried to think of a plan, anything. But her mind drew a black all she could think about was the ragged old skeleton and her mind was clouded with Ernesto's soft touches. She felt intoxicated, her guilt for Hector and the strange feeling she felt building up at the edges of her heart. It was painful, almost like when she felt like she was drowning in the pool and again all she could see was Ernesto. Though how different she actually felt from just a few hours ago, how naive. She took a deep breath

"...okay" she said softly against her shoulder "I will if you keep your promise. I'll be here with you, forever"

Maria extended her hand out to accept the deeply red colored marigold petal. She felt the beat pulse in her arms quicken slightly. Ernesto eyed her curiously

"No more tricks?" He testing the waters as he took a step towards her. Maria shook her head as she kept her feet planted.

"No more running" she added

Ernesto allowed the softest smile to appear on his face, he pulled her close to him grabbing her by her waist and closing the space between them. Maria couldn't help but smell the wild rose garden scent off of his clothes. She felt the clenching in her heart grow

"Then Maria I give you my blessing" he leaned the petal into her chest "to stay with me. I will fill your every wish as long as you stay by my side in the land of the dead. You will never be lonely or sad, but only if you listen and behave for your Papa Ernesto. Nothing you love will ever be forgotten."

The petal brushed softly onto the bare skin above her chest, it enprated her into a fiery red light, but all Maria felt was a frigid penetrating cold cutting her all the way to the back of her spine. Instantly her entire frame was covered in roses petals as they erupted around her, Maria could feel Ernesto hold onto her tightly as though he was afraid she might disappear. But once the petals faded she was still in the same room being held by the same man, with the same unsettling feeling. The only difference was that Maria knew that this wasn't a promise she could break.

Only if she was a little crazy


	10. Made For Eachother

Ernesto walked with Maria up the large staircase. She carried the tiny alebrije in her arms His guards followed behind them just in case she would run again, Maria was a smart girl. She knew if she made any signs of struggle her promise with Ernesto would be broken, she kept her face unreadable. Besides Ernesto's hand on her shoulder was enough to keep her in place, they arrived to a set of large wooden door., They were slightly smaller than the entrance to the ofrenda room but they were still decorated with handmade carvings, they had angels on them, Maria almost laughed. Ernesto opened that doors and allowed Maria to walk in first, he closed the door behind him. Maria knew this must have been his bedroom, it was great, wide, and completely unnecessary; It had to be his bedroom. Ernesto turned Maria around as he looked down at her with a smile.

"I'll be back mijita, I just need to make sure all the guest leave" Maria felt her arms pulse pulsing, an unsettling warmth nestled in the pit of her stomach "will you be alright by yourself mija?"

Maria didn't respond but simply lifted the alebrije in her arms. Ernesto grinned as he leaned downwards and gave his little alebrije a scratch under his chin, The alebrije nuzzled in response.

"Ah, yes. You have your own little guard dog, it'll protect you" he lifted his hand from his alebrije to place it on Maria's chin, his hand cupped his face towards her. His thumb slightly traced her jaw line "My precious Maria.."

Maria slightly panicked as she felt him lean towards her face, so dangerously close. Her lips twitched and her heart ached uncomfortably warm. She quickly turned her head away.

"Papa.." she let out a strangled breath. Ernesto stopped suddenly and quickly readjusted his stance.

"Ahah, Yes Papa..well your Papa Erensto will be back soon, mijita" he moved the bangs from the front of her head and gave her a small kiss, his lips lingered onto the skin of her forehead. Maria tried not to wince at the strange feeling of his skull lips on her "Be a good girl, chiquita"

With one last smile he turned and left the room. When he turned to his guards they all stood in a line awaiting his next request, but they all seem to fidget slightly.

"Alright muchachos, let's go see if all the guest left, I do have a sunset spectacular to get to and I need to make sure that my little nieta and I are ready in time" He walked past them as he began to walk down the grand stairs. The guards look at eachother with concern

"Senor De La Cruz? Is it alright for la nina- um for la Senorita Maria to stay in your room unsupervised?" one of the guards spoke up. Without even looking back towards then Ernest swept his hand is the air unbothered but he kept looking straight in front of him with an unblinking stare.

"If she knows what's good for her she'll stay put, besides I did interrupt her rest. We can give her a few minutes alone" The guards shrugged their shoulders in confusion but they all followed De La Cruz without any further hesitation down the stairs.

Maria leaned into the double door of Ernesto's room as she made sure every last guards was out of earshot. Once all the steps faded away, she slowly turned the knob to open the door. Maria was surprised that the door wasn't actually lock, she could open it with ease, she almost laughed. How easy it would be to run out and escape this dreaded place, but she knew better. She quickly popped her head out of the door and looked around to make certain that there was no one around. It was completely vacant, she could hear a pin drop it was so quiet, Maria ducked back into the room.

Ernesto De La Cruz's Grand Master Bedroom, it lived up to the name. The walls were a polished white with large old movie posters starring Ernesto decorating them. Academy awards and golden records hung above his bed. Speaking of the bed, It was huge! Maria didn't know that they made beds this big, this was probably an extra extra extra king size. And yet there was still a lot of room to walk around. Maria noticed that there was another little bed for the little alebrije chihuahuas next to to the glass window outlooking the entire land of the dead. Currently only one tiny alebrije was with her, it layed comfortably in the massive bed, Maria glared at it.

"We are not cool!"she pointed to the tiny chihuahua, it yawned. Maria swiftly turned onto her heel. She hoped that this work, the plan was originally to jump along with Hector and have himself grab onto the chord, but things changed. Maria didn't know if it were for the better. She looked out towards the large window as she squinted her eyes out to the horizon, she could see slight shimmer of golden light peek out. Maria looked down towards her arms and she could see that she was indeed still all flesh with her bones still under her skin, she didn't know how Ernesto did it. If she was going to stay here forever she couldn't exactly his behind a painted mask for the rest of eternity. Maria took a deep sigh as dug into the clothing folds of her dress. She pulled out a spine bone, it was the central bone the one that connected the beginning of the spine and the rest of the hip bone.

"Please work…" she prayed quietly to herself. She looked over her shoulders towards the alebrije and saw it happily snooze itself away, she looked back towards the window with a bit more determination, she held the bone towards the window. It was a section of Hectors spine bone. Quickly before he climbed out f the cable to escape he gave her the connected bone of his spine and hip bone. He told her that it was central bone, he could call himself back to her if he was close enough. She held it out to see if anything would happen, she stood there for a few moments, than a couple more.

Nothing happened. Maria tried biting back tears that were threatening to fall out, she knew deep inside that this probably wouldn't work, but she let herself be betrayed by her own hope.

"He just using you" Ernesto poisonous words infested her mind, Maria squirmed as she tried to cast away those vile thoughts. 'No! Hector wouldn't do something so cruel! He' just just trying to get help!' she thought 'he wouldnt leave me, would he?'

'It's because you abandoned him, just like you abandoned your family, you are just as bad as your great great grandfather, you two are made for eachother' where was this voice coming from? It sounded like her but..'your both vile and disgusting, who would have feelings for their own great great grandfather? You know that deep inside you like the way he holds you! You're both terrible horrible people!' Maria held her head in pain, it felt like it was pounding. She wanted to scream it out but she bit onto her lip, she could feel the skin about to break. She quickly untied the decorative shawl on top of her skirt and tossed it aside, it felt like it was tightening slowly around her waist like Ernesto's arms, she tried to collect her thoughts. 'If only you weren't a selfish self entitled little brat' Maria leaned her hands into her face 'Maybe if you had gone home when Your Mama Imelda gave you her blessing you wouldn't be stuck here!' she sobbed 'maybe just maybe if you listened to you familys warnings you wouldn't have discovered that your great great grandfather was- That he was Such a MO-!'

She felt her arms pulse and her skin burned with the familiar beating pulse, and suddenly the pain was gone and with it the voice. Instead she felt nothing but a dull blankness, it wasn't a calming or soothing feeling. It was more like everything had just completely been sucked out of her. Her arms continued to pulse until they also calmed down slowly, leaving only a soft beat. Maria softly released her head as she rubbed her arms slightly, what was this? she tucked the strands of hair that had popped out of her hair bow back into place, Mama Imelda wasn't going to let some snot nosed kid hug her even if she were her great great grandchild, Maria slightly laughed at her own thought. The thought of seeing her Mama Imelda's tight frown again seemed so welcoming. Yes, she wasn't giving up but that still left the question in the air-'what now?'

She quickly perked her head up when she heard a soft knocking, she looked over to the alebrije and she saw it still snoozing off, whoever was at the door wasn't her Papa Ernesto, She sighed.

"Um sorry Senorita Maria are you in there?" came a soft voice from the other side of the doors. Maria quickly wiped off her tears with her shawl as she tried to regain her composure, she had to keep up the image.

"Yeah! Don't worry, who is it?" Maria responded cheerfully, Maria bite back as she realized that her voice sounded a bit too cheerful she quickly tucked Hectors bone under the mattress to hide for now.

"Oh I'm Lupe! One of the guards asked my to bring you a new set of clothes, i'm sorry if I interrupted your rest" Maria scrunched her face in confusion 'a change of clothes? What for?' Maria decided to not let the poor girl wait any longer as she got up and ran to the door to open it. Maria cautiously popped her head out and she saw a young esqueleta woman standing timidly outside, she did indeed have a change of clothes in her arms. Maria gave her smile and opened the door to let her in.

"Please come in!" Maria said as she raised her shoulder humbly to greet her. Lupe, as the esqueleta said she was called, nodded her head and walked in. Maria saw the young woman's eyes widen at the great room, she looked like she was lost in a daze.

"Oh my so this is Ernesto's La Cruz's personal quarters?" Lupe said in awe. Maria crossed her arms a bit irked, of course Lupe would be enamored with this. "I never thought it would be so.."

"Inessential" Maria said without speaking, she quickly realize what she said and unfolded her arms in reaction, straightening her back she looked at Lupe with an uncertain expression, she could feel the sweat form on her forehead begin to form. Lupe looked at Maria with a bit of a lost expression, she look back at the room slowly and Maria felt her shoulders untense as Lupe took her gaze off of her. With bit more of a critique eye she reexamined the large room, Maria saw as she took her time to adjust her words.

"Well..I was going to say" Lupe began "pretty big"

Maria blinked in surprise, Lupe gave her a small smile. Maria could feel herself copying it onto her own face

"Sorry, I forgot to introduce myself" while trying to balance the items in her arms Lupe uncomfortably took out her hand to introduce herself to Maria "i'm one of the seamstress, My name is Lupe. It's an honor to meet you Maria De La Cruz"

Maria couldn't help but inwardly cringe at the sound of her own name, she hide it with a tight smiled.

"Don't worry i'm nothing special, it's a pleasure to meet you Lupe" she gave the girl a quick shake of hands, Lupe tried to lean in and give Maria a kiss on the check as per greeting but realized that the items in her arms would be an obstacle, Maria smiled at her antics "you said you had a change of clothes?"

"Oh yes!" Lupe said quickly she quickly unfolded the large garment bag that was in her arms. She set it on the bed and pulled out a pair of shoes out of the bottom.

"What's all this for?" maria asked a bit curious

"Oh well aren't you going to the sunrise spectacular with your Papa?" Lupe questioned

"Yeah, but I thought I would just be wearing the same clothes" Maria admitted, at this point she'd wear a potato sack if it meant it could tick Ernesto off just by a little, maybe a lot.

"Oh you are so humble, I shouldn't be surprised" Lupe said with a sad sigh.

"What do you mean"

"Well everyone knows, mija, nothing to be ashamed of" Lupe said nonchalantly

"Um no I guess i'm not ashamed" what did Lupe mean, Maria felt a bit of a panicked rush begin, did she know about the strange blessing?

"That's good to hear, you should never be ashamed that you family abandoned you, leaving you as an orphan" Lupe stated "in fact you should be proud, with your own strength you were able to find you papa Ernesto!"

"Orphan…?"

"Ah, i'm sorry I shouldn't say it like that so freely" Lupe apologize "i'm sorry if I offended you"

"Your..fine"

"Oh look at me making things awkward again uhmm" Lupe hummed to an imaginary tune, Maria stared down at her arms ignoring her slightly, she was lost in her thoughts again "I'm I mean i just want to say that you really inspire people like me"

"...Really?"

"Yes! To go out at fight for your own dream and getting to met you Papa Ernesto, even defying all of the laws binding you in the land of the dead to stay with him, it's truly a touching story. Why, Ernesto has been telling everyone about how proud he is of you, everyone has been wanting to speak with you but he knows his little girl is tired " she gave Maria a small pat. "That's why it's such an honor to actually meet you"

Maria nodded slowly to Lupe's claims, so this was what he was telling everyone? That she was orphaned with no one to go to so she came to the land of the dead to stay with him. Lupe gave her a smile as she went back to removing the dress from the bag. 'I guess he's not wrong' Maria thought, except she was the one who abandoned her family. Maria bit back an acid feeling rumbling from the back of her throat. Lupe Pulled out a fluffy red painted brush dress out of the bag.

"Here what do you think? You Papa Ernesto requested it himself! Isn't that sweet?" Maria looked up to the dress that Lupe held. It was beautiful, the skirt was layered with uneven pieces and the top matched the off set color, it looked like a rose.

"Isn't it pretty? It one of my favorite gowns i've worked on. It was hard to get the bottom to look like an opening rose but all the hard work paid off! Ernesto said he wanted his precious little girl in this glorious gown" Lupe said with hype in her voice, she didn't noticed how Maria's eyes glazed over "Ernesto, THE Ernesto de La Cruz calling one of my dresses 'glorious' to I think i'm going to faint all over again"

Lupe leaned her head into the crook of the dress as she look off into the distant with a sigh remembering the thought, she look back towards Maria with a smile but she quickly saw how the young girl was looking down towards her feet.

"Ah, Nina are you okay?" Lupe set the dress onto the bed and quickly made her way back to Maria as she placed her hand onto the young girls face, as she lifted her head up Lupe saw Maria's blank face staring back at her "Maria, whats wrong?"

Maria snapped out of her thoughts as she realized that the Lupe had pulled her literally out of her head, she shook her head as she gave a couple of blinks.

"Yes!" Maria said a little to loudly, lupe took a step back " ah! Sorry I meant yes, it's a very beautiful dress! You told me it was handmade by you?

"Yup!" Lupe nodded, Maria sighed at lest Lupe was easily distracted "I hand stitched the design, come feel it!"

Maria cautiously approached the dress that currently laid on the bed, it was a beautiful gown. Maria rested her hand on top of the fabric and felt the silver stitching that decorated the skirt, they were flower vines, all completely covering the dress. Maria's fingers softly traced the markings, her arms stung with an odd markingins were a soft hidden touch against the red fabric, but it made the gown glow.

"Do you like it?" Lupe asked with a bit of a bounce in her voice, Maria picked the dress softly of the bed and she felt the soft fabric hit her skin, like a cloud.

"It's absolutely gorgeous" Maria said with a kind smile "you worked so hard on it and put you heart into this gown, I can feel it. How can I not love it?"

Lupe jumped slightly with joy as she reacted to Maria's praise. She clapped her hands together. Lupe took the dress out of Maria's arms and untied the back of the gown that was attached by a lace string.

"Thank you so much Little Mari!" Lupe said as she worked, she set the gown back onto the bed "here you go! Once your done changing just call me back in and i'll help you tie it back on!"

Lupe gave Maria another quick pat on the head and cheerfully bounced out of the room. Maria looked done towards the dress, slowly she undressed. She folded her clothes and set them off to the side, she didn't want to cause Lupe more work than she needed. As Maria was putting on the clothing she looked up above the bed, on top of Ernesto's bed frame was another one of his movie posters. In fact it was his most iconic ones , he wasn't even in the poster, his name was at the bottom with the other stars. The poster had a silhouetted image of two dancers in a rose garden.

Once Maria finished dressing she called Lupe back into the room, the woman was a ball of giddiness.

"Oh look at you!" she said with as she brought her hand to her face, a smile shone through her palms "you look so beautiful!"

"Your not just saying that because i'm Ernesto's niece are you?" Maria asked with a playful smile

"Oh please! I don't think anyone in the land of the dead can, well how do you say, fill it right" Lupe said as she turned maria around to tie the lace on the back of the dress. She didn't see Maria's face burn from embarrassment from her comment. "your dark skin really compliments the color"

"Aha-um thank you" Maria chuckled, she looked back towards the poster, distracting herself slightly. As she felt lupe finish the back of her dress Maria mindlessly spoke "have you ever seen this movie?"

Lupe look up to where Maria was looking at, she shifted her head slightly to the side

"hmmm...I actually can't say I have" Lupe admitted "Your papa Ernesto did film over 60 movies, a diehard fan would know, believe me they will tell you in an instant"

"Oh I just...I remember watching it when i was little" Maria said. "I just think it's strange that its the only poster in his room without him covering half of it"

Maria said, she was right. Around the whole room that was covered with rewards of photo's and his movie posters, the one above his bed was a simple but large poster that didnt even credit him as the principle star.

"Hmm now that you mention it it is a bit odd" lupe said as one of her hand rested lightly onto her face "wait.. I do remember this movie!"

"Really!?" Maria perked

"Yes, this was a sweet movie, it made me and my mom cry when we went to watch it" Lupe said as she remembered

"Wh..what do you remember of it?" maria asked

"Well what i remember it's about..a love triangle"

"Yeah! I think it was with two childhood friends?"

"Yes, between two best friends, and a beautiful but sharp-tongued woman" Lupe said as she continued to think of anything from the movie "it was sad because..the best friend died"

Maria saw Lupe's facial expression change to solemn stare, this was unexpected.

"Is um everything okay, Lupe?" Maria asked

"Oh yeah! Sorry, I just...I passed away a few years after the movie came out and the murder scene in this movie kind of.." Lupe trailed off again " eheheh sorry i'm making things awkward again, i'm sorr-"

"Don't be sorry" Maria spoke out "Your were remembering how you passed away, you shouldn't apologizes for that"

Lupe turned towards her and smiled, she handed her the new pair of shoes. Maria wanted to sign out of exhaustion, but she kept her mouth shut and slipped out of her shoes. Maria saw the mark inscription inside of the shoes, it read 'Rivera'. Maria swallowed as she kept the acid from piling in her throat. As Maria put on her shoes she noticed that Lupe was still looking at the poster.

"Lupe" Maria called out, Lupe turned her head towards her "if you don't mind me asking, how did you pass away?"

Maria was about to apologize and take back her question 'I shouldn't be so forward with something like that' she wanted to smack herself.

"I...don't remember" Lupe said, Maria thought she had simply said that to change the subject but the more that Maria examined her posture she realized that Lupe actually didn't remember how she passed away "...it was so long ago"

Maria looked back towards the poster hanging on the wall, the day it released was the third of january 1923. The math didn't make sense to Maria

"You really shouldn't worry yourself, mija" Lupe returned to her bright smile "you probably already have a lot of thing in you mind already"

'More than you think' Maria thought with a small laugh. Maria tied the buckled on her shoes and got up from the bed she was sitting on.

"Do you like the shoes?" Lupe asked her.

"There..comfortable" Maria said, she looked down at the black heels, trying desperately not to let any thoughts show through her face.

"Well you can always trust on The Rivera shoes to make a very comfortable heel and still make is stylish!" Lupe said with high beat voice. Maria let out a involuntary shiver "Maira, are you getting cold?"

"No no i'm fine" mari said "I guess I just have to get comfortable to beautiful clothing like this"

"Oh please you flatter me, Maria" Lupe said as she held her embarrassed face again. Maria gave her a nodding smile, she saw her reflection in the glass window to the side of ernesto's room, She felt like a street kid trying to play dress up. "I think you just add to the gowns beauty!"

Maria turned towards Lupe who was now holding her previous clothes and shoes in her arms, she was giving Maria an approving nod.

"Well i'll let you rest a bit more, I don't know when you'll leave but one of the guards will certainly escort you" Lupe bowed her head, as she was about to leave Maria called out to her

"hey um Lupe?" Maria run up to her quickly, Lupe stopped in her tracks and looked down towards the young girl "can you um...can I ask you another question?"

"Oh of course! Mija anything you want" she turned to face her, maria slightly bit into her lip.

"Do..do you remeber you mother?" Maria was curious, did she pass away before her mother.

"My mother?" Lupe didn't have the perk in her voice anymore

"Yeah is she..are you ho do i put it-"

"Yes" Lupe answered her, Maria jumped slightly from the curt response

"-oh"

"Yes, I remember my mother" Lupe said as she flipped over the blouse in her arms to set it more comfortable in her arms, Maria noticed how she avoided eye contact.

"I'm sorry if I asked something out of line" Maria really wish she hadn't brought up the subject

"No your fine. My mother and I are just..not close anymore" Lupe said with a sad smile

"I-i'm sorry"

"It's not your fault, mija" Lupe gave her a small pat on the head, Maria slightly fidgeted her fingers.

"Do you still love her?" she asked again without thinking

"Of course I do, I love her more than anything in this world." Lupe said slightly gripping onto the clothes a bit tighter.

"Does she still love you?" Lupe took a moment to think, Maria thought that if she hadn't crossed a line before she did now.

"I guess in her own way, she's done a lot of things i'm not proud of but she loved and supported me while growing up. So I still love her and I know that she still loves me, Thats family for you" Lupe said more or less to herself " I wanted to prove myself to her, but I died before I could"

Maria felt as though she remembered those words but couldn't pinpoint them, instead she gave Lupe a smile.

"that's very strong of you, I'm positive that you mother is proud"

"Yes, I know your family..um well I know your Papa Ernesto will make sure your safe from now on. You really take after him, you're both so kind" Maria forced a smile to stay on her face, but she couldn't stop the slow tremble in her hands "Have a goodnight Thelma, rest well"

"You too Lupe"

As Lupe closed the doors Maria headed back towards the bed, she really was tired and the large bed look so welcoming. The soft fabric of the dress was still mobile enough for her to crawl onto the soft bed, the alebrije gave her a low growl. Maria snapped her head towards the small dog.

"Enough from you" she said bitterly. The dog quickly quilted down and resumed it's soft snoring. Maria could not concern herself with the dogs attitude change as softy laid her head onto the sinking pillow. She let out a soft exhausted yawn, her mind raced through the poster that hung over her, Lupe's sweet attitude, and the veins that decorated the dress and Ernesto's arms. They were both so familiar indesign, wait a minute.

"I never gave her my middle name" Mari quickly raised herself from the bed as she stared out in front of her in shock 'have a goodnight Thelma' that's what she said, how did she know her middle name?

A loud knock from from the entrance of the room. A voice called behind it

"Senorita De La Cruz? El Senor De La Cruz would like you to come down stairs"

Maria groaned into the pillow.


	11. Something's Coming

"You need to stop being so-" Maria glared at her cousin, she dared her to finish her sentence.

"So what?" Maria said as he stood up with her hands resting on her hips. They stood in front of a small store that's been in Santa Cecilia since she was young and maybe before she was born. An old sign hung above the store opening it read 'Leticias'. No please Rosita finish that thought"

"You know what I was going to say" her cousin said to her silently under her breath, yet she turned her head away as she pushed her glasses back by the rim. Maria and her cousin were picking flowers for the ofrenda table, well more like Maria was in tasked to get all the flowers but they didn't trust her going by herself so they made her bring her younger cousin.

They were constantly doing this to her, ever since she turned fifteen and since then it's always been "you can't go alone unsupervised" "you have to be back by this hour" IT WAS UNFAIR! Her cousin Abel was allowed to go anywhere he wanted and she was only a year younger than him, was it because she was a girl? Did they really not trust a seventeen year old girl all by herself?

"your a young lady think highly of yourself"

"you can't go out like that"

"We don't want you to go sneaking off into the plaza"

That's what they were trying to tell her. That they didn't trust her and they never would.

"I just don't know why you can't act you age" Rosa said quietly under her breath as she stack the flowers neatly onto the basket. Maria didn't want to take this from a twelve year old, nor did she have to.

"Oye asi no se habla a tus mayores!" Maria said as she nudge the young girl by her hip. Rosa jumped out slightly from the contact, Maria winced as she realized that she might have used a little to much force. "Sorry"

"It's...fine" Rosa continued to lay the flowers into the basket. Maria wanted to take it back but she knew she couldn't, Their abuelita had caught them red handed sneaking in the plaza square. Rosa had told her not to get near, but it was too tempting for Maria. She pulled the younger girl unwitting along, she felt bad that their abuelita had yelled at both of them. Maria should have taken the blame. On the upside now Rosa didn't have any beef on her on her guitar playing skills, since she couldn't even play the guitar before their abuelita threw her chancla at the kind mariachi.

"I still think he was just trying to flirt with you" Rosa said flatly

"Ugh don't say it so blandly" Maria held her stomach in mocking disgust.

"Well it's true, you act so immature whenever your in front of someone in a mariachi suit, your all giggles and laugh. It doesn't matter if it's a man or a woman"

Maria's blush reached up to her ears, she quickly tucked her hair in as to hide her flushed face, she coughed to clear her throat.

"That's not true-"

" I'll be your first audience . Please the look on that guys face" her cousin said with an eye roll, she pushed her glasses back into the rim of her nose.

"Pfft please" Maria was about to flick her cousins forehead with her fingers but stopped, a thought popped through her head, she gave her cousin a big cheesy smile "could it be that you're just worried about your favorite older cousin?" Rosa bore her eyes into Maria's

"Your my only older cousin"

"And you care for me"

"Your gross stop"

Maria stuck her tongue out towards her cousin, Rosa rolled her eyes but let out a smile. Once again they silently finishing wrapping the flowers together.

 **"Family knows what's right for you"**

* * *

Maria stomach twisted as she thought of her family 'was she ever going to see them again? Was her last memory with them really just running away from them in anger?' Maria kept her arms neatly placed on the top of her skirt to keep herself from fidgeting away. The last looks she saw of her family was a mixture of confusion and betrayal, Just like her Mama Imelda. Maria should have signed up for the talent show with the ability of making all of her family disappointed in her, She almost considered it.

She only had Ernesto now, all his fame and glory, forever by his side. her arms pulsed slightly with the thought.

'What is this?' she thought to herself. The warm beating in her arms, was starting to distract her. At first she thought it was simply her muscles aching in exhaustion from carrying the alebrije for such a long time but now maria couldn't make sense of it. It didn't hurt but is was an unpleasant reminder. The pulse reached up to her forearms, it felt like small vines. The image of Ernesto's arms flashed into her head, Maria stopped slightly

"Everything okay Senorita De La Cruz?" asked the guard as he looked behind towards her.

"Yeah fine, sorry my toe got slightly pinched, still getting used to heels" Maria gave the man a kind smile and continued to walk, the guard didn't ask any further questions. Maria took a moment before she began walking again.

She followed the guard around a couple of Halls pretty much exactly where she had been taken up to the room in the first place. The only sound in the hallway was the soft clicking of her Heels and the security guards grunts

Lupe's words still stayed in Maria's head 'families like that sometimes'. Well she supposed that her family was like that sometimes, she guessed they were strange and they wanted to protect her but was it the same for Ernesto, did Ernesto really care about his family? it was obvious to her now that he was simply using her to fill this void that's been in his heart ever since he abandoned them, Mama Imelda and little Coco. The panging feeling in her chest started to beat up again, she felt it contort into her heart. Her whole life she looked up to the man , he had been her hero, her ultimate goal, but now she wanted to scrub her skin away from him. And yet she still she wanted to be with him, deep down in her heart she knew that it was wrong to but she needed his warmth. This protection, this feeling of being wanted, something that her family could never give her. That's what she believed made her the worst person in her whole family. Maybe she was where she belong. Maybe she deserved to be here.

He must have done something to make her feel this way.

She didn't know what Ernesto did to her but she knew he did something . She had nothing to prove it, but she could sense it. Ever since she woke up and felt the burning sensation in her arms, she couldn't explain it. It was like she could feel him. Whenever he commanded something of herself, she obeyed. She needed to ask him, plead to him, just tell her what exactly he did. Maria clenched onto her arms tightly, feeling her the uneasiness in her stomach begin to spread.

"Just down these stairs senorita" the guard pointed down towards the stairs. The guard stayed at his post behind the wall, Maria raised her eyebrow at the mans strange mannerisms, he coughed slightly into his hands "yes just down those stairs"

Maria shook her head in confusion but quickly realized something about this security guard. This was the same man who pulled her out of the line. Suddenly she had a dark thought, she almost wanted to give him a smug smile 'heh imagine if I told my papa what you did to me when I wanted to come into the party? what would he do to you?' Maria stopped herself, where did that vile thought come from? That wasn't who she was. Even though this man did cause her a minor inconvenience she wasn't about to torture the poor soul. She gave him a curt nod and continued to pretend that she didn't know him burying those unwanted thoughts away, she followed where he pointed and turned around the corner. She took in a deep breath

She was at the top of the staircase, it was grand white and beautiful. Maria knew that if she were in a movie this would be the scene where she would finally be greeted by her prince charming and be rescued off on a white horse far away from her troubles, Maria gripped onto the railing as she slowly transcended down the stairs. He stood at the bottom of the staircase with his arms rested against his back and that same smile on his features, his eyes widened as he saw her come down the stairs.

She was truly a vision to see, the only living girl in the land of the dead, His alone to have. Ernesto couldn't help but be reminded of the tragic tale of another young girl named just like her, he couldn't help but let out a small laughed. That was only a story, made up someone or other, this was real. Ernesto watched as Maria clung onto the side of the grand stairway with her almost painfully slow steps. She finally reached the bottom as she averted eye contact, opting to hold onto herself. Ernesto strided towards her, he opened his arms as she pulled out one of her arms to hold her against him, it was her warmth. The way her skin Radiated the warm feeling of being alive, Ernesto could bask in it all day.

"Mira de quien es esta princesa?" Ernesto rhetorically asked as her gave Maria a twirl. The bottom of her dress lifted slightly from the air, it made I look like a rose was opening "more like a perfect queen"

"I uh..it's nothing." Maria said uncomfortable she still looked away from Ernesto "it wasn't much just a change of clothes"

Maria felt her arms slightly pulse, a feeling of annoyance spread.

"Maria.." Ernesto said dangerously low, Maria quickly lifted her head as she felt Ernesto hand group her chin, she stared flustered back towards him. Ernesto grinned at the reaction he received. He decided to play along "do you like the dress?"

Maria wanted to lift her arms and pound him away from her. The markings on his arms glowed as her heartbeat quickened.

"it's...very beautiful" once again it felt as through all those feelings of anger were just sucked out of her, she felt numb. "Lupe was...nice"

Just for a moment Ernesto lifted his gaze off of Maria and look out onto his side, he looked like he was trying to put a name onto a face, for a moment Maria sensed a feeling of confusion off of him. Maria couldn't help but let out a small pout, he really didn't know anyone who worked for him. Ernesto's eyes trailed her face as she gave him that adorable expression, he felt a jolt run through his spine

"now now pequenia what's with that face?"

"it's the only one I have" she mumbled

Ernesto couldn't help but let out a hearty laugh and her pulled Maria into his arms, she fell into his chest like a snug puzzle piece. Her arms were trapped agianst his chest. Maria felt the pounding in her arms pick up again but now she couldn't tell if it was stemming from her fingertips or her chest.

He was close, he was to close

Maria tried looking away but Ernesto's tight grip on her was to much for her to handle. The pulsing in her arms began. His intoxicating smell, his presence, the idea that she was stuck in this world that she could never understand. She felt faint.

Like jelly in his arms. She heard the faint sound of a serenade from his older movies playing in the background, the leading lady was in his arms as he confessed his admiration. His eyes were full of love as he looked down towards the actress. It was almost odd to Maria as she compared Ernesto lustful eyes directed towards her. She almost felt the pulling in her arms, it climbed up towards her chest and into her cheeks. Ernesto leaned his face into the curve of her neck.

she felt warm, he could feel her pulse against his lips as he lightly touched them towards her neck, maria was still, any sound that came from her was only her even breaths.

'What was she doing? Was she going to let this happen? This was...so nice. He felt so nice. Everything was as nice as a pretty rose.'

Ernesto's tongue tickled the soft flesh of her shoulder as he gave it a small kiss. he looked back towards her and his smile turned into a soft grin she was let out a soft breath as she looked up to him sheepishly.

"Maria.." was all he said was he leaned into her lips. Maria in a blind rose tinted gaze tilted her head to accommodate Ernesto's. He was so close Maria could feel her warm breath bounce off of Ernesto's face.

"Ernesto! Let Her GO!"

* * *

It was a cool summers evening, everyone was basking in the suns last moment of warmth. The village center was decorated with hanging lights and music filled the air. She stood in the middle of her brothers as she watched the next musical group go on to perform. The announcer welcomed them on stage and everyone let out a huge cheer, especially from the young woman, her brothers nudged her in her sides. She kept her arms crossed as she saw the flirtatious lead singer throw winks to all the girls. Her brother joked with her

"No pues mira lo" Her brother Oscar chimed "look at all that admiration"

"He'll definitely get famous, that man of yours" Her brother Felipe smiled knowingly toward his brother, they high fived behind her back. "you better get ready for all the ridiculous things famous people do"

Imelda ignored them as she continued to placed her attention to the group, the lead singer caught sight of her in the crowd and sent out a kiss, the woman in the crowd all sighed. Imelda scrunched her eyebrows but couldn't help but laugh, her brothers didn't seem to mind her strange they continued to joke with themselves. Imelda let out an annoyed inward sigh 'why wasn't this bothering her? It should be right?'

Yes, it should, She should be a fiery jealous mess. He supposed fiance is on stage flirting it up with the whole audience, while she stood absently in the crowd feeling nothing. This how it always was, Imelda and her brother would go to The boys competitions of small concerts around the town and everyone would cheer, Imlead and Ernesto barely had any time to themselves anymore. And yet imelda didn't mind, but she should, she knew that she should. Imelda took in a deep breath, she needed to stop thinking about this. She was supportive, she helped The boys with their songs sometimes, she would bring her supposed fiance lunch or dinner sometimes, the boy always forgot about eating 'no just hector..' Imelda's back stiffened suddenly with the sudden intrusive thought. 'Stop..stop thinking about it'

The audience cheered as the group sang their last song, Imelda recognized the tune. 'No please don't' she thought. This was just a simple guitar solo accompanied by soft hums from the group, it was beautiful it made Imelda panic. It was a slow song, probably meant to put them asleep, but Imelda felt the sorrowful note in the guitar. It was slow and melodic, Hector's strung the chords with such a low emotion.

Imelda studied his posture, he kept his head bowed towards his guitar, he stared absently at his fingers as he played on his guitar. Imelda slowly reached towards her chest as she heard the silent words coming from the guitar. The whole crowd spoke quietly in confusion, why finish with such a sad ballad? The music rung through the whole music square and everyone decided that it was best to simply let the music carry them softly.

Imelda couldn't take it anymore,she ran out of the square in desperation, all she could hear were her brother shout for her name. As she pushed herself through the crowd and apologize towards everyone that she shoved. He felt the tightening feeling in her chest, she couldn't handle it. Her breath quickened as she tried to runaway from these feverish feelings.

She finally reached a cool shade of a building, she leaned against the brick walls as she tried to catch her breath, her still hand clutching at the decorative lace of her dress, her mother insisted her to wear her best dress, as if it would have changed anything.

She made her decision a long time ago, nothing was going to change her mind. She was going to marry Ernesto and that was that, it's not like her family was against it nor her fiance. She was just trying to convince herself.

"Imelda?" a soft voice voice came from her left, Imelda looked up and saw the big brown eyes of the tall scrawny boy who made her head spin and cheeks fluster to the point of the reddest roses, She smacked him.

"Don't scare me like that!" she yelled, Hector held onto his cheek and gave Imelda a goofy grin, she hated him so much.

"Aahaha I guess I deserved that" He said with a laugh "I didn't even tell you I was coming"

"Ah..um Oh gosh i'm sorry Hector" imelda let out a surprised apology "i I thought you-Nevermind why- why are you here, you need to go back to the plaza!"

"Um sorry Ernesto went looking for you after the last song" Imelda cringed "but he couldn't make his way through the crowd so he asked me to run and find you"

"I guess I must have given him a scare" Imelda monotonically said. Hector bite his lip slightly he looked like he wanted to say something but he couldn't find the right words

"Uhm.. would you like me to accompany you back to the festival?" he asked

"NO!" Imelda shouted, she pulled the attention of people walking by, embarrassed she covered her face as Hector gave the passersby an apologetic look. "Sorry i'm just a little tired, i've been up all morning helping my brothers and last night I was helping you guys get your line out for tonight ready..i'm just tired,yes"

"Do you want me to take you home?" he asked sheepishly

"No, I don-uhm I'm fine! please go tell Ernesto that was just heading home. Besides its a big night for you guys, i heard that a-"

"Famous producer is coming" Hector sighed in exhaustion. Imelda could help but hide a smile behind her hand, Hector must have been as tired of hearing about this 'oh so famous producer coming from mexico city to see all the bands playing tonight' from Ernesto. Hector blushed slightly from Imelda's reaction.

" uhm yeah well i'll go tell Ernesto, Senora Imelda" he said with a tight bow from his head. Imelda couldn't help but feel her eyes roll to the back of her head.

"Senorita" Imelda said with an annoyed sigh, everyone in her village began calling her 'Senora' ever since it became clear of ernesto's intentions. She still wasn't married and they were all ready to give away her identity. She hoped that Hector of all people wouldn't speak to her like that, he was one of her closest friends. The thought left a bitter feeling in her mouth.

"So-sorry Senorita Imelda"

"You know what? it's okay, Thank you for looking out for me Hector" she gave him a small smile as she began walking towards the direction of her home, she picked up her skirt to stop it from dragging from the ground, She needed to clear her mind and just stay as far as she could from everyone.

"I Uh Imelda!" Hector called out towards her, Imelda froze. She didn't face him but Hector could see how her shoulders tensed up towards her neck. Imelda could feel her breath hit down towards her chest as her breathing began to constrain again. 'No' she thought quietly 'no don't do this hector, because if you do…' she bite her lips together. "Please..take care of yourself"

Imelda let out a sigh of relief, yes that was okay. But the feeling of disappointment did not leave her stomach

"Si claro gracias" she said quickly she gave him a kind smile before she continued to walk away from him, leaving him to stand by himself.

Imelda busied herself around her home, arranging the dinner table, taking out the trash from the store. Clearing the inventory in the stock. Anything to keep her from thinking. It was getting late and the last thing Imelda wanted was for her dreams to control her sleep as well. She sat in her living room by herself, her brothers still haven't arrived, probably still out having the time of their lives with those other two foolish boys. She let out a small laugh, she guessed that they deserved the break. Her parent were currently out of town as they were visiting family, they left the store in charge of their children, well more onto her charge to look out for her older brothers. Imelda continued to flip through the book in disinterest, she used to enjoy reading this story but her mind wouldn't let her read or even make sense of the words, her eyes simply skimmed through the pages.

She heard a loud banging on the grate, her dumb brothers probably. Imelda Looked out towards the window and saw the light of the moon hit into the living room

"Ah mira aquí horas ya llegaron estos borachos" she said softly under her breath. She walked towards the door as she continued to hear the banging of the door "ya voy, ya voy"

"Quiet your racket you dum-" as she open the door in stumbled a drunken large and falling figure of her fiance "Ernesto?"

"Imelda!" he shouted out proudly. He quickly straightened his posture as he gave Imelda a tight hug, she felt crushed in his arms "mi amore! Como estas!?"

"Ernesto!, you've- your drunk" she could smell the liquor off of him, once she could get a better look on him she saw the large bruise and cut of his face and arms. "Ernesto! who-What happened?! Where are my brothers!?

"Borther? Your hermanos?..ohhh HAHAHa" he let out a hearty laugh, imelda stared in confusion as she saw him fumble with his words. She could make out the words 'cleaning up, leaving hector home, fight?' , without a second thought she pulled her stupid fiance into her kitchen and forced him to sit down of a chair, she quickly pulled out a wet rag from the sink and bandages from her cabinets "ahh mi amor mi amore, how doting you are"

"callate tonto, your bleeding!" she pinch the edge of his wounds, he let out a small yelp of pain "now tell me what happened!"

"Nothing important mi alma" he said with an eye roll "I was just upweilding your name"

"Up wielding? Do you mean upholding?"

"Yes! Yes! Uploading, some dumb borrachos were insulting you in the tavern calling you the 'taverns purple shrew'! Claiming that you would only leave heartbreak and tortured souls wherever you went! Can you believe that! Dont worry love these were the same guys who called Hector's mom a dumb..oh I shouldn't say that in front of a lady like yourself" he wrapped his unharmed arm around imelda's waist as he buried his face into her stomach, more like leaning against her. Imelda pushed herself off of her stupid blabbering courtier as she continued to clean of his wounds.

"Who cares what they say about me!" she snarled "I never cared about their opinion, and I won't start now"

"Ahh see thats' why I love you imelda" she froze, Ernesto continued spewing nonsense "you don't' give a rats ass about what anyone thinks, see that's what I told Hector. 'Let them talk their just a couple of drunks!' but noooOOoo hector was the first to punch the dumb idiots! And then I had to go over their and save him from himself"

Imelda slowly processed his story, Hector was the one to stand up to the drunks? She shook her head, what did she care?

"Your both idiots" she let out a small huff

"Only for you Imelda" he spoke as though her had sobered up in an instant, Imelda paid no mind. "Why did you leave the concert?"

Imelda twitched, her eyes didn't leave his wounds, she quietly continued to clean his wounds

"I told hector that I was tired, I needed to rest"

"Then why are you awake?"

" you woke me up tonto! you and your drunk banging, you nearly scared me half to death!"

"Don't lie to me"

"I'm not-" his hand snatched her arms, his grip didn't allow her to pull away "-Ernesto let go of me"

"You don't love me"

The silence rang through her home, suddenly she stood in front of a stranger. His posture was cold, and Imelda no longer felt safe.

"Don't make up these lies in you head" she whispered, instead of cowering from his towering height she leaned into his chest, she could feel his heartbeat against his chest, he was the one who was frightened. "Sit back down so I can finish cleaning you drunken bloody brawl wounds"

"It isnt my blood" once again his words stung into her

"..What are you talking about?" she asked quietly

"Are you asking me if the other guy is lying dead in the tavern with his blood spilling out of him?" Imelda wanted to take a step back, she would have never expected him to say that in such a dry manner. She felt the blood in her hands run cold, Ernesto let out a low laugh. "Because he isn't, he and his buddies ran out of the tavern before Hector and I could finish them off"

The room was suddenly ten degrees warmer.

"Dont say it like that!" Imelda screamed, she didnt care if her neighbors could hear her, she needed to put this fool back into his place "what if you had really harmed those guys, what if they come back!? Did you ever consider that?"

"I-um no" Ernesto said bluntly

"Of course not! Out of you and hector I would have expected that you would have more of a level-minded head!" Imelda wanted to whack him with her mothers wooden kitchen spoon, but she guessed that he already had that beaten into him "how can I marry a criminal?"

"You still want to marry me?" Ernesto asked quietly, all of a sudden that cold man that stood in his place was replaced by a shy school boy who meekly looked down towards his sweaters eyes. "I thought-"

"Stop, I don't want to hear it anymore, let me just clean you up" she said as she wiped the sweat off of her brow, "if you love me like you say you do, then..just be quiet"

"I do love you"

"What did I just say?"

"I love you more than I can describe in words"

"Ernesto please-"

"Why did you leave?"

"I...had to" imelda sighed. The cut off the sleeve of Ernesto's shirt and neatly tied a bandage on his wounds.

"Is this how you'll be when I go on tour?"

"Tour?" Imelda asked, there was never any talk of tours

"A couple of producers came to the event tonight and spoke to Hector and Me, their interested in us Imelda! They want to know if we have ever considered going on tour, can you believe it imelda!"

"I-" before she could finish her sentence Ernesto lifted her up in his arms and twirled her around the kitchen, ignoring his wounds and her protests "Ernesto put me down!"

"Imelda?" he immediately stopped and placed her back onto the floor "I thought that this-? Aren't you happy?"

"Happy? Of course i'm happy. I'm proud of you and hector. And everything you've worked for" Imelda began, the uneasiness began to grow in her stomach again "but Ernesto if...I just wish I knew what so say"

'I want you stay'

"It's just so hard to put it into words"

'I don't want this life'

"I just wish you understood"

Both Ernesto and Imelda were quiet in the room, They looked down towards their linked hands. The only thing they would hear was the ticking of the grandfather clock in the living room and the soft flicking of the candles in the kitchen. Ernesto was the first to speak

"Am I not enough for you?"

"What?"

"Thats it right? I'm still not enough for you, after all this time. You still think that i'm am no good to you"

"What is all this nonsense?"

"That' what I am uh? Nonsense?"

"You're just putting words in my mouth!"

"Then I just have to prove that to you too!" Ernesto grabbed imelda by her shoulders and pulled him into his chest, he leaned into the the crook of her neck as he took in a deep breath. Imelda was mortified, what was this lunatic spewing on about! "When I have everything in the world Imelda maybe then that'll be enough"

"I don't want the world Ernesto!" she shoved him off of her side, as Ernesto tried to walk back towards her Imelda pulled chair in between them. "I don't want your fame or glory..I just want-"

Imelda couldn't finish her sentence, what could she say? What could she possibly say to a drunken fool?

"Imelda.." she raised her hand to quiet him

"Leave Ernesto"

"Imelda I -

"Leave"

Ernesto stopped, imelda looked at him straight into his eyes. She couldn't take this anymore. She couldn't live with this lie, with herself. Ernesto slowly backed away from the kitchen and into the living room, before her left he stopped he spoke to imelda once more

"I will prove myself to you imelda. I'll get it all just for you"

And with that he was gone, Imelda ran towards the door and looked the gate. She slowly dropped onto the floor in panicked fear, everything happened so fast to her, and yet in her mind was made. Later in Years to come Imelda thought that he had moved on, that everything's behind them, especially now with a child on the way.

* * *

Maria was snapped out of her gaze, She quickly pushed Ernesto off of her, she once again overestimated her own strength as push Ernesto far enough for him to stumble away from her. She felt as though there were an immediate break on her, helped by the heels, that helped her keep her place. Thank the Rivera shoes for making a fashionable but comfortable heel. Instead of focusing his attention on her Ernesto was staring in a mixture of surprise and outrage.

"Hector" was all hat left Ernesto's mouth

For a split second Maria felt a fiery rage stem from her chest onto her cheeks at the sight of Hector, but she stopped herself as she noticed his white clear bones. 'Hector came! Hector kept his promise to save her!"

"Mi gran amigo. Hector" Ernesto walked slowly towards the shabby skeleton with open arms. His demeanor did nothing to help the rising tension in the room.

"What are you doing Ernesto!" Hector walked straight towards Ernesto, he hand stuck out accusingly as he stormed towards the man. Maria notice how he no longer walked with a limp, in fact nothing about with looked shabby, only his clothes. 'No..it couldn't be' maria thought. "She's your own-!"

Before hector could finish his sentence he was pulled back by a pair of security guards. Maria didn't even see were they came from they pulled Hector away from her as they walked towards the door, Ernesto singled them to stop.

"Hector!" Maria let out. Ernesto's attention was brought back to Maria as she stood leaning towards giving a dashing breaks towards Hector..

"Oh hector hector hector" Ernesto mocked "always running to save young girls honors, even if it means to put yourself in danger. And then I have to swoop in because, once again your in over you head"

"This is nothing like back then Ernesto!, you were my friend my only companion! you told me you would move heaven and earth for your amigo !" Maria froze, she heard that before, yes, it was from the movie that was in Ernesto's bedroom, The movie about the two best friends. "You told me years after that it didn't matter to you after all those years, that you were happy, and we shared that drink"

"Heaven and earth? Like from the movie..'Fuego en la sangre'?"

"What?" Hector looked at Maria in confusion. Ernesto turned to Maria as she continued to piece the puzzle together. "Nina what are you talking about this is my life'

"I- that's the plot of the movie. To best friends fight over the beautiful young girl in the town who is stubborn to even consider marriage" Hector glance over at Ernesto whose eyes hadn't left maria's "one of the friends marries the girl but she' stuck in a loveless marriage but before the other man can rescue her, the man's old friend invited him for a drink"

Maria stopped for a moment as she took a step back from both of them.

"But in the movie the married friend poisoned the drink"

A flash of recognition ran through Hectors eyes as though he was processing everything that Maria had just said. Ernesto quickly signaled towards the guards, he placed his hand onto his chin his guards understood immediately.

"...all this time I thought I had deserved this, but- you took everything away from me you- YOU RAT!"

"Your delusional my dear, your confusing movies for reality" Ernesto strolled over to maria but she knew he was talking to Hector. He pulled her roughly back into his arms, she began to struggle again hoping that the guards would take pity, the did nothing but follow what Ernesto commanded. "I mean honestly i'm shocked, with your poor eyesight you probably don't even recognize the face of an old friend"

Hectors eyes darted from Ernesto and then to Maria. From the dark glare that he gave Ernesto his eyes landed on Maria, it was as though he traced her faces shape with his eyes. Suddenly his eyes widened.

"Imelda..?" Hector spoke softly

"My great great grandmother, I thought you knew-" Maria thought out loud. Before Hector could react, Ernesto signaled towards the guards to close his mouth, literally. pulling his jaw bone out of his skull


End file.
